The Nuffield Trust Summit: finding solutions to the health and care crisis

The UK’s health and care system is struggling, probably more than it has ever done. The crisis is manifest by the system’s inability to meet the current needs and expectations of people using services. But it’s about more than the here and now; considerable concerns are being expressed about the sustainability of the NHS as a comprehensive, free-at-the-point-of-use public service.

The scale of the crisis is now widely recognised, so attention is rightly focused on developing a better understanding of the causes of the crisis and to designing remedies. What we need now are solutions which reflect the embeddedness and scale of the challenges. 

A crisis in the NHS of a similar scale in the late 1950s led to the 1962 Hospital Building Plan and the 1966 Family Doctor Charter, the benefits of which were realised for the following two decades. A crisis in the 1990s led to the 10-year NHS Plan in 2000, which turned around hospital waiting lists and long-term condition care. A similar level of commitment is required now; tinkering at the margins will not work.

This is where the work of the Nuffield Trust is so important. Our mission is to improve the health and care of people in the UK by presenting solutions which are independent and free from vested interests, robust and based on the best possible research, evidence and analysis, and innovative and challenging. And we strive to present solutions in ways that generate debate and build consensus among stakeholders.

Returning to the Summit: first day highlights

The 2023 Summit is an opportunity for you to hear about and contribute to our work, so here’s a taste of what to expect over the next couple of days. We kick off by welcoming Helen Whately MP, Minister of State for Social Care, with a remit that is central to turning both the care and the health systems around.

The Minister’s session will be followed by Nigel’s analysis of the crisis. It will be his final Summit as he prepares to step down in the summer after nine highly successful years as Chief Executive of the Nuffield Trust. As ever, we can expect to be stimulated by his insights, challenges and humour. His presentation will be followed by reflections from Stian Westlake, Chief Executive of the Royal Statistical Society, who will draw on experience inside and outside of government to offer insight on the current state of NHS politics, and by Jill Rutter, Senior Research Fellow of UK in a Changing Europe, who will bring an international perspective.

We hear much about the desire to focus broadly on improving the health of communities and populations, rather than narrowly on health system performance, but we struggle to turn rhetoric into reality. The answer lies in part in a strong orientation to and reform of primary and community services, so I hope you’ll enjoy sessions led by Sarah Scobie, Deputy Director of Research at the Nuffield Trust, on the contribution of community services to patient care and by Rebecca Rosen, Senior Fellow at the Nuffield Trust, on the role of general practice in addressing health inequalities.

More vital topics discussed on day two

In the absence of an adequately sized, well-trained, supported and motivated NHS workforce, the crisis will only deepen. As a consequence of the pandemic and current front-line pressures, the immediate problem is burnout and its impact on staff retention. Kevin Fong from UCLH and Alison Leary from London South Bank University will shine new light on the nature of the problem and its solutions.

The NHS is often criticised for its failure to ask the public and patients "what matters to you?" Over the years user engagement has improved, but there’s a long way to go. Miriam Levin from Engage Britain will present research from their People’s Panel on their experiences of how the NHS communicates, and this will be followed by a panel discussion with Sarah Sweeney of National Voices, Samira Ben Omar, trustee of the Nuffield Trust, and Caroline Clarke, Chief Executive of the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust.

And finally we welcome Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England, who will be joined by Patricia Miller from Dorset ICB and Owen Williams from the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust to discuss decentralisation of the NHS. Ringing in my ears is a warning voiced quietly to me many years ago by one of Amanda’s predecessors – that the centre is willing to devolve everything except for power. It promises to be a stimulating session.

There’s never been a more important time for health and care leaders to work together on fixing our health and care system, and never so much at stake. Whether you join in person or follow the live stream on our website, I hope you enjoy the Summit and leave with new ideas and renewed energy to develop them.

The Nuffield Trust Summit takes place on Thursday and Friday this week (March 2-3). You can register to watch the live-streamed sessions. More information about the event can be found here.