Housing associations supporting Prudent Healthcare
At yesterday’s Welsh NHS Confederation Conference, the latest round of online expert chapters looking at “Making Prudent Healthcare Happen” was launched. CHC has contributed a chapter on “Housing” and the role members are having in producing better healthcare outcomes for Welsh communities.
The chapter on housing highlights:
- The understanding of housing is too simplistic, often focused solely on the physical environment and its impact. Must move towards the understanding of the housing association contribution as being distinct in that members provide the opportunity to impact a number of social and economic factors impacting people’s lives.
- As a sector we are prudent - prevention and early intervention is at the heart of the activities we do.
- Cuts to Supporting People represent real dangers. This in itself is a thoroughly prudent service which stops people reaching their hospital door, but is itself seeing disinvestment
- Opportunities are vast in working with communities. We as a sector know first hand how the skills, experience and expertise that sit with people in our communities, when utilised effectively, can make a substantial impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals and those around them.
- The chapter highlights that grass roots community activity needs to be considered as an important part of the service going forward and that housing associations are a key organisation that are able to grow, nurture and sustain this activity.
We look forward to working with members to continue to demonstrate the impact housing associations can have in moving to support and jointly deliver a prudent healthcare service.
For further information on prudent healthcare and the housing chapter, contact amanda-oliver@chcymru.org.uk as Matt Kennedy has now left CHC.
Matt Kennedy has also written a blog post on the importance of prudent healthcare: http://chcgroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/trust-me-im-housing-professional.html