Person Centred Care 2020

National Voices, the health and care charity coalition, has set out demands for genuinely person centred care. It states that services are increasingly fragmented and underfunded, with too little voice for patients and families, and that fully involving people in decisions is the key to improvement.

National Voices calls on the next government to make person centred care the central ambition for health reform, and to provide consistent leadership, more funding and stability. They want to see government supporting local efforts which personalise and coordinate services, particularly for people with chronic conditions and disabilities, with public agencies, voluntary groups and local communities working together.

In the report Person centred care 2020: Calls and contributions from health and social care charities, which can be downloaded at www.nationalvoices.org.uk/person-centred-care-2020-calls-and-contributions-health-and-social-care-charities, National Voices warn party leaders against radical structural reorganisations and urge that reform should start with people, not structures.

They highlight the growing evidence that care is better when people have a say in the decisions about their health, are supported to look after themselves, and can plan their care in partnership with professionals and effective services.