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Strategic framework

The strategic framework, which will underpin the final strategy, focuses action on:

  • Primary prevention: acting across the population to reduce risk of disease
  • Secondary prevention: halting progression of conditions or risk factors for an individual
  • Early diagnosis: to identify health conditions early, to make treatment quicker and easier
  • Prompt and urgent care: treating conditions before they become crises
  • Long term care and treatment in both NHS and social care settings

Tackling health inequalities is recognised as central to improving health outcomes and will be embedded across the whole strategy. It will include consideration to socioeconomic deprivation, ethnicity, gender and inclusion health in leading to health disparities. Implementation of NHS
England’s Core20PLUS5 framework for reducing health inequalities will be key.

DHSC has outlined five priority areas where it can make most difference:

  • Rebalancing the health and care system, over time, towards a personalised approach to prevention
    through the management of risk factors
  • Embedding early diagnosis and treatment in the community
  • Managing multiple conditions effectively – including embedding generalist and specialist skills
    within teams, organisations and individual clinicians
  • Seeking much closer alignment and integration between physical and mental health services
  • Shaping services and support around the lives of people, giving them greater choice and control where they need and want it and real clarity about their choices and next steps in their care.