Personalised Care
What is Personalised Care?
Personalised care represents a major practical change to the NHS and is a key part of the NHS Long Term Plan. It is a whole system approach that enables a variety of services across the health, social care, public health and community spectrum to be integrated around the individual in order to deliver better outcomes and experiences. It has also led to the creation of a range of new roles that further improve the quality of care that patients receive.
Why do we need personalised care?
Research has shown that when patients have the opportunity to be involved in decision making around personalised health care, there are generally better outcomes and experiences and reduced health inequalities. Specific benefits of personalised care include better adherence to medical advice – since the patient was involved in the decision – and increased patient and clinician satisfaction.
- To be treated as a whole person by professionals they trust
- To be involved in decisions about their health and care
- To be supported to manage their own health and well-being, through health coaching, access to self-management programmes and to peer support in the community
- Their care to feel co-ordinated
Health care practitioners and organisations across the country are increasingly recognising the benefits of personalised care and are working to empower patients to become advocates for their own care plans by developing their knowledge, tools and confidence. Understanding how to deliver personalised care takes time and training, which is why the Personalised Care Institute has launched its world leading eLearning programme, to support health and care professionals with this.
This shift towards personalised health care provides an opportune moment for patients to feel seen, heard, informed and empowered to take back control of their lives. It will only strengthen the relationship between people, health and care professionals and local communities.
What is the personalised care framework?
The NHS has spent the last three years working in partnership with local government, councils, clinicians, professionals and communities to develop a robust model for personalised care. This model consists of six evidence-based components:
- Shared decision making
- Personalised care and support planning
- Enabling choice, including legal rights to choice
- Social prescribing and community-based support
- Supported self-management
- Personal health budgets and integrated personal budgets
Evidence shows that when all six components are delivered together, and in full, patients can take advantage of the full benefits of personalised care. All patients should:
- Be seen as a whole person within the context of their whole life, valuing their skills, strengths and experience and important relationships
- Experience hope and feel confident that the care and support they receive will deliver what matters most to them
- Be able to access information and advice that is clear, timely and meets their individual information needs and preferences
- Be listened to and understood in a way that builds trusting and effective relationships with people
- Be valued as an active participant in conversations and decisions about their health and wellbeing
- Be supported to understand their care, treatment and support options and, where relevant, to set and achieve their goals
- Have access to a range of support options including peer support and community-based resources to help build knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their health and wellbeing
- Experience a coordinated approach that is transparent and empowering
The goal is for 2.5 million people to have benefitted from personalised care by 2023/24
The PCI is helping to deliver on this with our own mission of training 75,000 health and care professionals via our eLearning platform.
What are the six components?
For the last three years, the NHS has been working in partnership with local government, councils, clinicians, professionals and communities to develop a comprehensive model for personalised care.
This model consists of six evidence-based components which are outlined below.
The new personalised care roles
As part of the NHS Long Term Plan to deliver personalised care to 2.5 million people living in the UK by 2023/4, a series of specialist roles have been created to help people access the support and advice they need.
Here, Dr Ollie Hart explains the narrative and common purpose for personalised care in the NHS. He considers the new Primary Care Network-based additional roles and describes both why they are needed and how they can support a high performing health and care system.
Below you’ll find a more detailed description about each of the new personalised care roles.
Care Coordinators
Care Coordinators work alongside GPs and other primary care professionals within Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to provide extra capacity, support and expertise to patients who are having clinical conversations.
Health and Wellbeing Coaches
Health and Wellbeing Coaches use health coaching skills to establish a one-to-one partnership with individuals in their care, in order to improve levels of ‘patient activation’.
Social Prescribing Link Workers
Social prescribing Link Workers (SPLWs) are becoming an integral part of Multi-Disciplinary Teams in Primary Care Networks (PCNs).