The NHS Five Year Forward View partners have today (10 December 2015) published an updated national support package for all 50 vanguards.

This follows an initial programme of support published in July 2015 for the first 29. Since then, a further 21 have been selected, eight urgent and emergency care (UEC) and thirteen acute care collaboration (ACC) vanguards.

The revised package has been updated to reflect the needs of the UEC and ACC vanguards and includes the learning to date from the first 29 vanguards. It is the result of extensive engagement with the vanguards including site visits, workshops and discussions.

Based on the feedback, the number of areas of support has been extended from eight to 10 and now includes ‘new operating models’ and ‘governance, accountability and provider regulation’.

‘New operating models’ has been added to support the ACC vanguards, who are linking hospitals together to improve their clinical and financial viability, develop the right operating model. It will also support the UEC vanguards to explore models to ensure they are working effectively as integrated communities.

‘Governance, accountability and provider regulation’ is designed to help the vanguards develop the right organisational form and governance model, as well as understand the impact on how they are regulated.

The national package has been developed to enable the vanguards to make the changes they want effectively and at pace. It aims to maximise the sharing of learning across the vanguards and spread good practice nationally across the wider NHS and care system.

Samantha Jones, Director of the New Care Models Programme, said: “I have been impressed by the consistent appetite for change across the vanguards but all 50 face real challenges to radically transform care for their populations. We have worked alongside the ACC and UEC vanguards to explore how we can support them to realise those ambitions and remove obstacles as well as spread their learning quickly and effectively.”

Alan Steward, Chief Operating Officer for Havering Clinical Commissioning Group and Vanguard Programme lead for Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge System Resilience Group said: “We have ambitious plans for the future of urgent and emergency care in our area. Being a vanguard means we can access a wide range of support and expertise from the national team and from other vanguards in the form of sharing best practice. This support package will provide us with the additional tools and expertise we will need to make sure our new model of care is successful.”

Susan Acott, Chief Executive of Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust and Vanguard Lead for Foundation Healthcare Group (Dartford and Gravesham) said: “We are involved in redesigning how the continuum of care works for patients from visiting their GP through to going to local hospital and specialist centres. It is exciting and ambitious but we need all the help we can get. The support package announced will provide expertise, resource and access to a host of tools to help us get the job done.”

Amanda Sullivan, Chief Officer for Mansfield and Ashfield, and Newark and Sherwood Clinical Commissioning Groups said: “The Mid Nottinghamshire Better Together vanguard has received valuable support from the national support package, assisting us in progressing our programme to integrate health care and social care, taking forward new ways of working and new models of care across our area.”

A directory of the national support on offer for the vanguards and the wider NHS and social care has also been published today to help them develop new partnerships with patients, the public and communities.

It outlines the services available from the seven NHS Five Year Forward View partners and some voluntary sector strategic partners. These organisations are part of the Health and Care Strategic Partner Programme which works in partnership with the Department of Health, NHS England and Public Health England.

The directory has been compiled with the Five Year Forward View People and Communities Board and is part of the national vanguard support package to help them empower patients and local communities.

This first directory entitled ‘A call to action for a directory of support’, developed with vanguards, will be followed by a comprehensive directory of national and local support in April 2016.

Samantha Jones, Director of the New Care Models Programme, said: “Changing the relationship we have with people is central to the Five Year Forward View and to the vision of the new care models. We want a new era where patients are partners in their health and care, and communities are active and involved in redesigning their services. This initial directory is the beginning. We’re looking for organisations to come forward to tell us how they can support the vanguards and innovation across the NHS and care services.”

Jeremy Taylor, Chair of the Five Year Forward View People and Communities Board, said: “Creating new partnerships between people and their professionals, and between communities and core services, will lie at the heart of sustainable care for the future. As this directory of support develops, we hope the vanguards will recognise the diversity of expertise and resources they can draw from the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to redesign mainstream care.”

Andrew Bennett, Senior Responsible Officer for Better Care Together (Morecambe Bay Health Community) said: “To have all these resources available in one place will be of enormous benefit to all vanguards across the country. I am delighted to see so much expertise available, and I hope everyone will be able to make use of it.”

The People and Communities Board have set out six principles for the new care models to support the new relationship with local people and diverse communities:

• Care and support is person centred: personalised, coordinated and empowering;
• Services which are created in partnership with citizens and communities;
• Focus is on equality and narrowing health inequalities;
• Carers are identified, supported and involved;
• Voluntary, community, social enterprise and housing sectors as key partners and enablers;
• Volunteering and social action are recognised as key enablers.

This initial directory and the wider guide next year will signpost the support available for the vanguards and the wider NHS and care services to deliver the six principles.