News / Funding instability slows NI transformation

Financial challenges have hampered aprogramme to move care out of hospital and into the community and primary care, according to the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO).

Its report on the Transforming your care (TYC) programme said some gains had been made. Local clinicians and managers have established new models of care, working closely with patients through integrated care partnerships. One project that aims to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions in older people had released £7m to invest in domiciliary care, for example.

However, instability in funding and a reliance on funds becoming available through the in-year monitoring process had lessened the impact of the programme. The lack of stability was compounded by the Department of Health being unsuccessful in some in-year funding bids.

As a result, by March 2016 only £28m of the anticipated £130m of savings had been realised. To mitigate the worst of the financial issues, the Department responded by establishing a ring-fenced £30m transformation fund.

Comptroller and auditor general Kieran Donnelly (above) said: ‘Transforming your care was an ambitious shared vision for changing how core elements of health and social care services could be delivered. 

‘However, in the absence of a precise action plan, backed by necessary finance, the impact has been much more limited than expected and the hoped-for shift of services from hospitals into people’s homes has not happened as rapidly as had been intended.’ 

With the recent Bengoa report recommending a similar direction of travel, Mr Donnelly said the challenge was to build on TYC, creating credible plans, with funding focused on community services