UK Health Services Can Muster the Allies Needed to Meet Challenges

REVAMPING NHS models in both England and Scotland will require “the widest possible conversation beyond Government and the NHS”, it has been claimed.

The advice comes from former Scottish MSP, Jim Mather, following media reports earlier this month, which questioned the readiness and capability of community services to effectively relieve the burden on the NHS.

In those reports, MPs claimed that cutting back on hospital services in England - before community services are geared up to provide care – was a "recipe for disaster".

Mr Mather, the former MSP for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism and who is now chairman of Gael Ltd, theScottish developers of quality, safety and risk management software solutions, insisted the claims were a “timely reminder that we need to join the dots and link as many entities as possible both in the debate and in the co-production of solutions.”

He said: “While we have increasingly different NHS models evolving in England or Scotland, we are all still dealing with complex systems that have evolved over many years.

“To that end, I feel that any redesign of these systems needs the widest possible conversation, which goes beyond Government and the NHS, involving a wide array of stakeholders including Life Sciences companies, medical device manufacturers and Digital Health providers.

“In addition, the conversation needs to include the myriad of other players whose work can affect health and well-being from those who manage the workplace, through to our emergency services, local government, nursing and residential homes, housing associations, the food and drink sector etc.

“It is obvious that the job of improving health and life expectancy has to involve many players and, of course, individual citizens - all combining to play their part.”

In his role as Chairman of Gael, Mr Mather provides strategic guidance, strengthening the company’s ambitions within Healthcare, Life Sciences, Aviation and Oil and Gas, among others, both at home and abroad.

Jim added: “Like others, we at Gael know that we have a part to play in this quiet collaborative revolution. In our case this aspiration is helped by the fact that our systems are used by the majority of NHS Trusts in the UK to manage quality, reliability and risk. We look forward to continuing to play a catalytic role to help healthcare cope with the many challenges it faces and also fulfil its full potential for the many people that depend on it across the UK."