Next steps
Creating this strategy has followed a different process from the start. When speaking with system leaders, there was a sense that previous high level ‘system’ strategies tend to be ignored. This is because they are often non-specific, not built through engagement and ownership, and reflect a long list of national priorities, often framed as negatives.
We have tried to take a different approach by engaging continuously with our leaders, organisations, public and employees throughout the past 11 months. The work is not yet complete, but the interim strategy presented here is a good start.
The next phase is just as important. We want a live, clearly focused strategy that is developed and written through the results of that engagement. It needs to reflect what people and organisations are saying, and develop real ownership and desire to now co-design the solutions and innovative work that will lead to lasting change.
If we get this right, we will have a strong evidence base to guide how integration should develop over the next few years.
This includes:
- understanding what people say gets in the way of them living as healthily as possible, and how we can support
- how we build on assets and strengths in focusing on improving people’s resilience, and providing earlier support
- being clear where working together as a local system can reduce inequalities in health and improve social determinants of health and wellbeing
- ensuring we can identify necessary changes, measure and report back on improvements in people’s access, experience and outcomes from health and care.
Your voice
Your voice matters to us and we want to listen to what you have to say. We want to make it easy for you to get involved and give us your views. There are many opportunities to have your say and influence local health, care and wellbeing decisions. We want to be inspired by you, and empower you to help us improve health and care services for the better.
We want to help everyone live longer, happier and healthier lives. This work starts with people and communities in Dorset; putting people, patients and carers in the driving seat. Together, we can make things better.
The next steps in the strategy development process should consider the following issues, and ensure they are captured in an ongoing development programme:
- Continue employee engagement to understand how organisations can support their teams to put you at the heart of care and improve workplace wellbeing
- Ensure clinical and care professional leadership is aligned with this ICP strategy, and that there are strong links to the clinical strategy
- Understand how to reduce duplication in plans and strategies. Make sure there is better alignment and understanding in our system of agreed priorities, from the ICP strategy through to health and wellbeing strategies and place-based commissioning
- Involve people in setting and reviewing priorities, and progress in meeting them
- Consider what issues should be driven by the integrated care partnership, and what can be driven by places and neighbourhoods
- Deepen the engagement with residents by exploring the main themes raised – use these to guide our co-production approach when starting to develop solutions
- Ensure the ICP strategy process embeds the legal requirement to tackle inequalities in health, and promote equity of access and outcomes for all residents. Once published, we intend to develop a programme of workshops to assess whether the priorities and recommendations will help achieve the equity and equality ambitions
- In time develop a consistent method of equality impact assessment, to support the equality delivery system in the NHS and for wider public services.
