During the research phase of the project, Dr Steve
Feast, Senior Advisor, Health and Wellbeing,
Department of Health, outlined the key aims
of the project (2 minutes 17 seconds).
‘Inclusion Health: Improving the way we meet the primary healthcare needs of the socially excluded’ is a joint project between the Social Exclusion Task Force and the Department of Health. The study recognises the great progress that has been made in healthcare provision whilst setting out the need for more sophisticated and flexible responses to improve access and quality of services for socially excluded groups.
’Inclusion Health’ provides a framework for driving a step-change in outcomes for socially excluded groups, launching an agenda that addresses the specific challenges of working with them, while going with the grain of wider health reforms.
It is supported by an evidence pack which brings together existing and new data and analysis on the health needs and outcomes of socially excluded groups, and highlights the challenges and opportunities within this field.
Key findings:
The last ten years have seen significant investment and reform in health and social care. This investment has delivered major improvements in public health. We have witnessed continued improvement in health outcomes, with life expectancy at an historic high and infant mortality at a historic low. There has been a transformation in the accessibility and quality of care, and patient satisfaction with the NHS is at an all-time high.
But we want to do more. Whilst great progress has been made in delivering improvements in health outcomes across the population, meeting the needs of socially excluded people with the most complex health needs remains a challenge. Chaotic lives and particularly high levels of need often mean that socially excluded groups make disproportionate use of emergency services and do not necessarily benefit from the services and support accessed by the majority of the population.
We have heard what you want to happen. Throughout the course of this work, the Cabinet Office and Department of Health have engaged a wide range of individuals and organisations with experience and interest in this area. Dedicated professionals are providing support to some of the most vulnerable clients in their communities and ‘Inclusion Health’ highlights the challenges they face. Both they and their clients emphasise that there needs to be a greater focus on addressing the primary health care needs of the socially excluded.
In response to this, comes ‘Inclusion Health’. This document, supported by an evidence pack, provides a framework to drive further improvements in the health outcomes of the socially excluded. It outlines the objectives of the ‘Inclusion Health’ agenda, and sets out actions to support innovation, productivity, and the delivery of personalised care. These actions will be taken forward by a new National Inclusion Health Board in a specific programme of work.
