The NHS is facing a number of challenges. People are living longer, with more complex health issues, and across the NHS it is now recognised that to really meet these challenges we must take a longer view. They are not things that can be fixed overnight.

The Five Year Forward View (published in October 2014), set out how the NHS needs to adapt to be able to provide sustainable, personalised health and care services over the next five years. To support this, the NHS invited organisations and partnerships to explore new ways of working.

Dudley CVS was keen to contribute to this work and is working in partnership with local organisations to develop a new model of care in Dudley.

All Together Better describes this partnership between local NHS and care organisations, GPs and the voluntary sector which all believe there is a better way to plan and deliver care in Dudley. We are now working together to develop a new care model called a Multispecialty Community Provider (MCP) to improve the way the most vulnerable people are looked after.

Under the new model, people who are registered with a Dudley GP will have their care coordinated by them. For example, a person with frailty and long‐term conditions, registered with a GP in Dudley, now has their care overseen by a multi‐disciplinary team in the community. This team includes the Dudley CVS voluntary sector locality link workers (Integrated Plus) who are connecting our most vulnerable people to the 1000+ community and voluntary sector organisations in Dudley.

This ensures a more rounded approach towards care that better meets the person’s medical and social needs – at one time, in one place.

These links also help to ensure that people have access to support and care from their local community.

As a result of the health and care system working together in this way, people are not only receiving the coordinated support necessary for their health needs, but they are also linking to the wider network of care and social interaction in their community to help them live more independently for longer. New ways of working will also mean that health and care staff will have more time to care for the people that need their expertise the most.

If you would like to watch a short film to describe this Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) approach please go to www.dudleyccg.nhs.uk/integration

You can find out more about Integrated Plus workers by watching this short video about their role.

Listening Exercise

The All Together Better partnership has arranged a number of Listening Events to help us find out what really matters to people in Dudley in general, and in relation to specific health services.

The Doodle Ad has been created by the partnership for the Listening Events and is being used to explain the changes to local people. View the Doodle Ad below.

Find out more

Details of the Listening Events
Engagement Group for New Care Models
All Together Better web pages