Why change is needed
We live in a time of great change and few areas are changing more rapidly than the NHS. To continue to provide the best possible care to local people and to meet these changes, we must alter the way we work or we will be left behind.
Opportunities
More effective drugs, better medical techniques and technology are extending life expectancy and improving our quality of life. The time people need to spend in hospital for routine treatments is being reduced and more people are being treated as day case patients, when in the past they would have needed to stay overnight in hospital.
Challenges
As well as these opportunities, the NHS is facing a number of challenges, including:
- A legacy of old buildings in Sutton and Merton
- A continuing shift in disease patterns towards chronic, long-term conditions, like diabetes
- An ageing population, more likely to suffer from ill-health
Planning for the future
Better Healthcare Closer to Home is about developing local, modern health services so people can be treated, wherever possible, closer to where they live. This will also allow us to place more emphasis on keeping people fit, healthy, and out of hospital.
We also aim to improve and upgrade sub-standard hospital and community buildings by replacing or refurbishing worn-out estates with facilities fit for delivery of modern healthcare.
