The health secretary has announced he is seeking views on a set of proposals to ‘radically improve' care for vulnerable older people.
The proposals are aiming to set out improvements in primary care and urgent and emergency care. They will look at establishing ways for NHS and social care services to work together more effectively for the benefit of patients, both in and out of hospital.
Mooted plans include every vulnerable older person having a named clinician responsible for their care outside of hospital, ensuring accountability is clear and care packages are personalised and tailored around individual needs.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "In 65 years, the NHS has quite simply done more to improve people's lives that any other institution in our history. But too often the people it fails are its heaviest users - our most vulnerable and elderly. Too often these people end up in hospital not by design, but simply because they can't get the care they need elsewhere.
"We need radical improvements to make sure our most vulnerable and elderly have the support they need to keep them in better health and out of hospital, with one clinician responsible for their care in the community, just as there is a consultant responsible for them in hospital."
The Department of Health is seeking views on the proposals over the summer.
The final plan will be published in October and will be reflected in the Mandate to NHS England for 2014- 15.
