A new network has been launched ‘to represent the community services sector and forge better links with the rest of health and social care’.
The NHS Confederation and NHS Providers have jointly established the Community Network, which will ‘aim to be an effective and influential voice for the community services sector’. They explained: “The Network will make the case for community services to play a leading role in the development of integrated systems, and for sufficient funding and investment to support ambitions to strengthen community services. It will also have a strong emphasis on promoting the link between community services and the rest of the health and care system, including primary care and social care services.”
NHS Confederation CEO, Niall Dickson, added: “Community health services are a vital and often overlooked part of our healthcare system. If the NHS is to survive and thrive these services must play an even greater role in the years ahead as we provide more care in patients’ homes, and reduce the huge rise in demand for hospital care. Our new Community Network will be an effective, articulate, and influential national voice for the sector.”
Community services have over 100 million contacts with patients every year.
