STPs must have realistic goals, says CIPFA

2 May 17

Joint plans between the NHS and councils to improve local health care must have realistic goals if they are to be a success, according to CIPFA.

The public finance body assessed 44 draft Sustainability and Transformation Plans - designed to ensure health and social care services in England are built around the needs of local populations - and found positives and negatives.

It highlighted the potential for STPs to represent “a positive, place-based step forward” but under the pressure of time and costs there have been a number of ‘business as usual’ propositions, in the research released on Friday.

CIPFA have urged the NHS to pursue concrete, transformational changes needed to deliver financial sustainability in the long term – a move which is becoming increasingly important as the health service will soon face a £10bn funding gap by 2020/21, according to CIPFA.

Rob Whiteman, CIPFA chief executive, said: “Service integration is a no-brainer for patients, families and stretched NHS teams and as a means of addressing the need for financial stability in the health sector, STPs offer a promising start towards taking forward the changes needed in the health and social care system.

“In reviewing the 44 plans, it is clear that much still needs to be done, particularly in developing full scenario planning and understanding risk.

“Transparency and realism is crucial, even if it does expose the difficulties involved in achieving the plans. Otherwise there is a danger that the desire to present a positive position will lead to unrealistic judgments being made.”

Support is being offered by the organisation to finance leaders in the NHS and local government who are involved in the development of STPs.

Paul Briddock, director of policy at the Healthcare Financial Management Association, wrote a blog for PF last week saying STPs needed to be "clear, robust and flexible to support the fundamental changes required”.

The call for realistic plans follow a report by the Lords select committee on the long-term sustainability of the NHS, which slammed successive governments for failing to come up with long-term plans for the health service.

An independent review by Sir Robert Naylor into the NHS estate reiterated the urgent need for robust strategic plans to deliver transformative improvements to the NHS.

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