The NHS Five Year Forward View sets out a vision for the future of the NHS on how health services need to adapt to reduce the increasing gaps in the quality of care, health of the population and funding available for services. Over the next five years, to ensure that local services will become sustainable, each health and care system in England is expected to produce Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs).
Like any long-term changes to a public service, it’s important that in the first instance, local experts develop plans to ensure they are safe and sound. The health and care organisations within the 44 areas have worked together to decide how to improve services locally, and submitted this vision to NHS England in the STPs on 21st October.
Once the plans have been scrutinised, a more formal local consultation will begin. The plans will then be published and open for public engagement and consultation. I can assure you that no changes to services will be made until the full consultation process is over.
