Public views are being sought on some of the big themes that will form the basis of a new Health and Care Services Bill.
The Health and Care Services Bill consultation will gather comments on policy principles which cover four main areas:
- Service planning;
- Record sharing;
- Service improvement;
- Empowering patients.
The way health and care services are delivered is currently set out in three key pieces of legislation, but the IOM Gov says “these don’t work together as well as they could”.
It also admits there are “some gaps which could limit service delivery and the care available to residents now and in the future”.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) hopes to replace those existing fragmented laws with a single comprehensive Health and Care Services Bill.
Healthcare Services Bill
The consultation asks for views on what should be prioritised when making decisions about health and care – whether location, accessibility or value for money is most important to patients and service users.
It also asks for views on the sharing of patient records between different services and service providers, following feedback from patients and service users about frustrations when receiving treatment from multiple clinics or from off-Island providers.
Other sections look at the preferred ways of contributing to service development, and how best to empower patients and service users to make their own decisions.
It’s hoped that the final principles will support enhanced integrated service delivery for all patients and service users, and recognise that physical, social and mental health care are symbiotic.
Consultation
The five phases of the new bill will be policy principles, social care, healthcare, cross-cutting issues (like the protection of Manx Care from fraud) and more ‘miscellaneous issues’ like research and development, private provision and complaints.
Work on social care and healthcare has already begun, and the remaining phases are planned to take place over the next 12 months.
Have your say on these phase one principles through the online consultation hub.
The consultation will close at midnight on October 7.
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