Health and social care organisations in Solihull have a long and strong track record of working closely together to make sure that our local health and social care services are as joined as possible so that Solihull residents are unable to see where one ends and the other starts.
In the last couple of years we have brought this together through ‘Solihull Together for Better Lives’ – a partnership and programme designed around the aim of making sure that all people who live in the Borough get the right care and support, in the right way, when they need it, and in the place that’s best for them.
At Solihull Council we understand the vital role that our social care services, for both adults and children, play in achieving this aim through a properly integrated health, care and support system.
Indeed, one of the outcomes we are working to in Solihull is a future where people can not only achieve, but also go on to maintain their independence and quality of life. This will only happen through a joined up approach to health and social care, and one which is totally focused on the needs of the patient and customer.
We also understand that the people of Solihull cannot receive all of the health and care they need within Solihull. Similarly, we know that that joined up health and social care provision is not something that should be designed around the organisations that provide and commission it.
This is why Solihull Council encourages the move by NHS England to bring in an approach across England to secure new Sustainability and Transformation Plans. Our draft submission to NHS England is another step on the journey and is the culmination of the collective thinking so far on how to exploit the opportunities before us at the same time as tackling the twin challenges of improving quality and plugging the financial gap.
This approach builds on what we have been doing through’ Solihull Together for Better Lives’ and it is consistent with the Council’s own priorities and ambitions. It is needed in the face of the challenges of rising demand from an ageing population and ongoing resource constraint.
One of those wider local systems is across Birmingham and Solihull. As Council we have been actively working in partnership with Birmingham City Council and NHS Commissioners and Providers across the whole Birmingham and Solihull area to develop our Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP).
Our draft submission to NHS England is another step on the journey and is the culmination of the collective thinking so far on how to exploit the opportunities before us at the same time as tackling the twin challenges of improving quality and plugging the financial gaps.
To see the draft submission and further information about our STP, the process going forward, the plans for engagement and to offer feedback now, please visit Birmingham City Council’s website.
Here in Solihull we will be actively considering the STP and its local implications through our Health and Wellbeing Board and scrutiny processes. Information about this will be posted on this page in due course and communicated through other appropriate channels.
To comment on the STP Submission please email BsolSTP@nhs.net.
Ken Hawkins 