Briefing / Roundtable: the place to be

There is broad support for place-based working as the right level to tackle health inequalities and drive integration. But an HFMA roundtable, supported by Newton, heard that systems also face major challenges in realising their place-based ambitions.

All attendees agreed that place was the right level to take a pathway focus and to integrate services with other public and voluntary providers – and arguably the only level at which to address health inequalities and the wider determinants of health. But there are obstacles to making progress, including a preoccupation with elective recovery, the challenging financial context and the need to cut system running costs.

The roundtable also discussed the role of finance teams in supporting place-based delivery, particularly in delivering information to support decision making and in identifying the resources consumed by different parts of the population.