Shift to community care may be ‘unachievable’ without more capital investment

Efforts to deliver one of the government’s major NHS priorities to shift more care into the community will need to be boosted by targeted capital investment in buildings, facilities and equipment for community providers, according to a new survey of senior health leaders.

Nearly nine in ten community provider leaders say they don’t have access to the capital funding they need. They say this is impeding their efforts to improve productivity and that it will make it harder to achieve the government’s ambitions to deliver more care out of hospitals and in the community.

Capital investment in the NHS has mainly prioritised hospitals, with little going towards community health providers which provide vital services including district nursing, health visiting, child health and other services. These community services are responsible for 13 per cent of all daily NHS activity and represent one in five NHS workers.

The survey by the Community Network – hosted by the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers - found:

• More than four in five respondents (86 per cent) said buildings and facilities were a barrier to greater productivity 
• Two in three providers (66 per cent) said digital systems were a priority for investment to boost productivity 
• Two in three (66% per cent) said that the state of community facilities isn’t improving patients’ experiences 
• Nearly nine in ten (88 per cent) said they couldn’t secure adequate capital funding.

Siobhan Melia, Community Network chair and chief executive of Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Community providers will play a central role in delivering the government’s commitment to shifting more care closer to home. For it to be a success, community providers need essential capital funding to scale up delivery and collaborate with system partners in line with the government’s aim.

“National leaders need to prioritise capital investment in technology and estates for community health services. Investing today will bring savings tomorrow and a better experience for patients and their families.”

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of NHS Confederation, said: “The government’s desire to provide more care closer to home is right, and community providers have a vital role to play in this. But the ambition will be jeopardised unless community services have access to targeted capital investment for building, equipment and technology which will enable them to deliver more care, provide a better patient experience and to improve productivity.”

Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “Community services and patients are suffering the effects of years of national capital underinvestment. The sector’s buildings and systems are becoming increasingly inadequate for the task being asked of them.

“To fulfil government ambitions, to increase capacity, achieve greater productivity and improve experience for staff and patients, community providers need access to adequate capital funding.”