30. South East London
In October 2018, the chief executives of NHS England and NHS Improvement wrote to all STP leaders instructing them to come up with new five year plans by autumn 2019. The new five-year plans will replace those which were drawn-up in 2016 based on the previous five-year funding settlement to 2020-21. The new five year STP will be developed based on a new NHS England budget.
The letter notes that “It will be extremely important that you develop your plans with the proper engagement of all parts of your local systems and that they provide robust and credible solutions for the challenges you will face in caring for your local populations over the next five years.”
NOTE: The information on this page relates to the original STP drawn up in 2016, however much of the information is still relevant and could be part of the new STP.
What concerns have been raised about your STP?
Health planners are trying to reduce NHS deficits and think about ways to re-organise care. However getting the large deficit under control could prevent facilities being developed that can cope with the health and care social needs of local people.
Proposed changes
There will be changes to community care, including the development of 23 Local Care Networks (LCNs), which will bring primary, community, specialist teams working in the community, mental health and social care colleagues together to manage the health and care of local populations of between 50,000-100,000
An integrated urgent care system is planned to be in place by 2018.
The STP aims for an increase in births at home and a reduction in the number in labour wards.
The number of centres which will perform elective orthopaedic surgery will be reduced. Originally the reduction was from eight to two, but this is now likely to be from eight to three.
Extra cost-savings planned
As this area has one of the highest over-spends it has been targeted by NHS England and NHS Improvement for extra cost-control methods. These could include:
- Longer waiting times for elective care;
- Closure of wards and theatres;
- Staffing cuts;
- Ending funding for some treatments and prescriptions;
- Delaying or avoiding funding newly approved treatments.