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Realising the Value: Ten actions to put people and communities at the heart of health and wellbeing

This is the final report of the Realising the Value programme, an 18-month programme funded by NHS England in support of the NHS Five Year Forward View vision to develop a new relationship with people and communities.

This is the final report of the Realising the Value programme, an 18-month programme funded by NHS England in support of the NHS Five Year Forward View vision to develop a new relationship with people and communities.

The report sets out ten key actions on what should be done and how people need to work differently to put people and communities at the heart of health and wellbeing.

Key calls to action

What needs to happen:

  • Implement person- and community-centred ways of working across the system, using the best available tools and evidence.
  • Develop a single, simplified outcomes framework across health and care and community provision, focused on what matters to people.
  • Continue to learn by doing, alongside further research.
  • Make better use of existing levers such as legislation, regulation and accountability.
  • Trial new outcomes-based payment mechanisms to support person- and community-centred approaches, and implement these as part of wider national payment reform.

How people need to work differently:

  • Enable health and care professionals and the wider workforce to understand and work in person- and community-centred ways.
  • Develop strong and sustained networks as an integral part of implementing and scaling up person- and community-centred approaches.
  • Value the role of people and communities in their health and wellbeing, including through co-production, volunteering and social movements for health.
  • Make greater use of behavioural insights in implementing person- and community-centred approaches and spreading change.
  • Support a thriving and sustainable voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, working alongside people, families, communities and the health and care system.

Realising the Value was an 18-month programme, funded by NHS England and led by Nesta and the Health Foundation, which sought to enable the health and care system to support people to have the knowledge, skills and confidence to play an active role in managing their own health and to work with communities and their assets.

Our key lessons and recommendations are based on what we think it means to realise fully the value of people and communities at the heart of health and wellbeing – a ‘social model of health’ that combines a deep understanding of what matters to people, with excellent clinical care, timely data, and strong, sustained social support.

The system has committed to this broad agenda and work is underway to embed person- and community-centred approaches in national programmes and in the delivery of local services. There now needs to be a step change in ambition, leadership and alignment – combined with sustained implementation – to move from intent to action.

Authors: Annie Finnis, Halima Khan, Johanna Ejbye, Suzanne Wood and Don Redding

Authors

Don Redding

Don Redding is Director of Policy for National Voices, the leading coalition of health and social care charities, which brings patient, service and carer voices into national policy de…

Suzanne Wood

Suzanne Wood is an Improvement Fellow at the Health Foundation.

Johanna Ejbye

Johanna Ejbye

Johanna Ejbye

Johanna worked in the Health and Ageing team within the Innovation Lab. She worked on Realising the Value - a programme funded by NHS England and jointly led with the Health Foundation…

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Halima Khan

Halima Khan

Halima Khan

Executive Director, Health, People and Impact

Halima was the Executive Director of the Health, People and Impact. She led Nesta’s work in health and also oversaw people (human resources) and impact for the organisation.

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Annie Finnis

Annie Finnis

Annie Finnis

Director of Operations and Impact, Health Lab

Annie was Director of Operations and Impact in the Health Lab at Nesta.

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