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The NHS's role in tackling poverty: awareness, action and advocacy
The NHS's role in tackling poverty: awareness, action and advocacy
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Author(s):
- Fenney, Deborah, author
Buck, David, author - Contributor(s):
- King's Fund (London, England), issuing body.
- Publication:
- [London, England] : The King's Fund, March 2021
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- National Health Programs
Patient Advocacy
Poverty -- prevention & control
Social Support
United Kingdom - Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Key messages. (1) The NHS plays a key role in preventing poverty simply by existing to provide care for everyone, free at the point of use. But it can also do more to prevent, reduce and mitigate the effects of poverty. It has three spheres of action: the direct provision of health care services to people and communities; its wider economic and social role 'in place' by virtue of its size and scale in every community; and the leadership role it has in every community, which confers on it a status that can be used more broadly for poverty reduction. (2) It is important to do more to address poverty now. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed and worsened the impact of inequality in the UK, particularly for those at risk of, or in, poverty. The impacts on our communities' health and wellbeing will not end once the pandemic recedes. (3) The NHS is not powerless in the face of poverty. Much of what can be done is not about increasing the burden on an already stretched NHS, but being more aware of the existing power and influence the NHS has to tackle poverty. (4) There are practical actions the NHS can take as a direct service provider and commissioner of services, and more broadly, as an economic and social actor. But this requires active leadership and strong partnership working. It will not be effective without the NHS working in meaningful partnership with other sectors, communities and individuals in, or at risk of, poverty. (5) Awareness of the issues relating to poverty is the cornerstone for action: the NHS needs a shared and consistent story on poverty and its role in tackling it. This is important for NHS staff, so that they can see and understand their role in doing so; for partners, so that they can see how the NHS can support them in joint actions; and for people experiencing poverty, because meaningful engagement is fundamental to developing NHS awareness. (6) As a service provider, key actions the NHS can take include: meaningful engagement and co-production with people with lived experience of poverty; paying attention to inequalities as digital innovations roll out; making use of social prescribing and stronger integration between social welfare and health services; and measuring meaningful outcomes and spreading good practice. (7) As an economic and social partner 'in place', local NHS organisations can better use their status as anchor organisations in their communities to tackle poverty. For example, the NHS could maximise its role as a good employer and, on procurement, it could do much more to comply to the letter and with spirit of the Social Value Act. The NHS also has significant economic levers: there needs to be a wider recognition and focus on its fiscal multiplier effect across all local economies. (8) The NHS has an important role as an advocate. It has a unique position and authority, and is held in high public regard. Workshop participants called for NHS leaders to take on a much stronger role as advocates. Using its voice and reputation, the NHS can influence and speak up and out for people and communities at risk of or experiencing poverty. Clinicians also require support from non-clinical leaders to ensure they feel safe to speak out about poverty without fear of negative consequences. (9) NHS England and NHS Improvement has a key role as a national leader in supporting local actions to tackle poverty. The NHS's new local and regional partnerships, including primary care networks (PCNs) and integrated care systems (ICSs), also provide an opportunity for stronger leadership on tackling poverty.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (51 pages))
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918299681006676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918299681006676