Market-based fragmentation and the ravages of the profit motive in the NHS are now revealed as the false economies we always knew them to be. A national service, the NHS has nevertheless always had a regional dimension, and devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland shows the value of different approaches when the search for what works is more about trial-and-error than scientific assurance in advance.
We believe Wessex should learn from best practice developed in other parts of the UK, especially in integrating health and social care into a seamless service. Last week, it was announced that an NHS trust in Northumbria is planning to open its own care homes to crack the problem of bed-blocking. Trusts in Wessex should be doing the same.
