The national health service ‘Our NHS, our future’ Next Stage Review is primarily a local process. Eight clinical pathway groups in each strategic health authority region are considering how to improve personalisation in each pathway. They are doing this in partnership with patients, carers and their advocates. National working groups have been set up to consider the emerging issues which will require action at a national level, including primary and community care strategy.
The national working groups will look closely at what the local clinical working groups tell them are the enablers and barriers to change and will seek input from wider stakeholder organisations, including those representing carers. This national work will, along with the work of the local clinical working groups, form the basis of Lord Darzi's final report in June on the future of the NHS in England.
The review of the Prime Minister's carers strategy has involved a wide-ranging consultation of carers—both online—through an 'ideas tree', and through local and regional events. In addition, four deliberative events for 240 carers, including young carers, have enabled further discussion on the emerging themes from the consultation. Reports from the consultation and the deliberative events are being fed into the ‘Our NHS, our future’ Next Stage Review.