Health & Social Planning is at the forefront of the public’s mind, brought about by the crisis over December and into the winter months as we continually saw more and more ambulances parked outside the front of A & E.

The problem is generally understood, in that we need to unblock circa 15% of beds blocked by, primarily, older people, thereby allowing the improved flow of patients through the hospital

As the government announces plans to deliver 5,000 new beds as part of wider £ 1 Billion investment strategy, we want to offer an alternative reaction to potentially the health system doing as they have always done within the context of what they already know

Our presentation builds on the conversation from the IHEEM 2020 conference presentation ‘Homes in the Park’ in which we shared our thoughts on how understanding the funding of housing and flexible design can unlock a multiple of opportunities in the NHS.

In essence, funding from Homes England can be used to unlock old hospital estate, reduce backlog maintenance, whilst adding value to the patient experience as we build adjacent or on a hospital site. Fundamental to the plan is the patient wellbeing and the need to address the concerns of clinicians who might resist discharge due to poor quality accommodation in the wrong location.

Critically we discuss the supply of funding in partnership with private investor partners, who then partner with housing associations to underwrite their new build projects, thereby addressing the limitations associated with CDEL

In refreshing our ideas, we are confident, that if adopted, we can and will influence the delivery of the Integrated Health & Social Care System’s future strategic planning requirements.