Reimagining the future of health and social care

How to learn the lessons from the Covid-19 crisis for a next generation health and care system.

The pandemic has acted as a real-time experiment of the capacity of the health and care system to meet our needs over the coming years.

This report looks at what we have learned about the UK’s health and social care system through the Covid-19 crisis, and how this might translate to profound change within the system.

Based on consultations with those in the sector, we explore three feasible scenarios for change:

• Pandemic NHS: all health and social care activities are pivoted to ensure that as and when another pandemic hits, the NHS can respond effectively and efficiently.
• System Statis: returning our health and social care system to normal is the critical activity.
• Care Horizons: a greater period of reflection and review of what happened during the pandemic leads to far greater integration between health and social care.

We recommend that The Department of Health and Social Care conduct a People’s Health and Care Commission, to provide a place for learning from the pandemic and citizen engagement in the future of our health and social care system. Read our full set of policy recommendations in the report.

Download Reimagining the future of health and social care (pdf, 1.7 MB)