Prevention…the key to saving our NHS?

In the words of Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, “The NHS is broken” and he’s “absolutely convinced” that prevention has to be central to the government’s 10-year plan for the NHS. With the UK population living longer and with multiple health conditions, the NHS is under a huge amount of pressure and the cost to the healthcare system is crippling. The NHS is facing a plethora of problems – budget cuts, lack of staff and increased demand for services. Recent reports found long A&E waits are likely to be causing an additional 14,000 more deaths a year. Shockingly, more than 7.6 million people were awaiting NHS treatment in England in December 2023, with too much of its budget being spent in hospitals. Starmer has proclaimed that the NHS must “reform or die”. Future plans aim to shift care from hospitals to community-based services, with a strong focus on tackling long-term conditions through improved prevention measures. The prime minister stated that prevention will be central to the government’s 10 year plan for the NHS. Utilising digital technology will play a key part in this as Starmer promises to use technology to “create a digital NHS”.
In today’s digital age, people increasingly turn to online platforms for health information, leading to self-diagnosis and misinformation. Social media is embedded in our daily lives, patients now expect the highest level of patient experience and communication across digital channels from healthcare providers. In this blog, we’ll be exploring how NHS organisations can better utilise digital channels to educate their community, reduce the strain on services and improve patient experience.

In 2021, Diabetes UK reported 4.3 million people were living with diabetes and in 2022 NHS England stated that the NHS spends around £10 billion annually on diabetes, accounting for about 5.5% of its total budget. Many of these cases along with the associated costs could have been prevented through lifestyle changes and citizens accessing the many services and support available. In fact, ONS found that around 1 in 7 deaths in the UK in 2019 could have been prevented through effective public health interventions. As the population ages and risk factors like obesity and smoking continue to rise, NHS communications teams play a critical role in public education.

Prevention-focused communications are crucial, as it’s estimated to cost £3,800 on average for an individual to maintain good health compared to £13,500 for treating a condition once it arises. NHS organisations who engage with their audiences can promote lifestyle changes such as increasing exercise, reducing alcohol consumption or quitting smoking. This approach builds community trust and enhances patient satisfaction. Preventing long-term conditions in just 10 individuals could save your organisation £97,000 in treatment costs. One UK ICB launched a tobacco dependency treatment service in hospitals, treating over 2,000 patients in a year, with a third becoming smoke-free after 28 days. Their ‘Swap and Stop’ campaign attracted nearly 10,000 visits to their stop smoking webpage in the first month. Smoking is just one of the risk factors for which these prevention measures could be replicated.

With record-high numbers of ambulance callouts and A&E walk-ins, NHS campaigns can redirect citizens to the correct support, instilling behaviour change. By raising awareness of services, the NHS will see significant cost savings. For example, the average ambulance call-out cost is £321, and with around 800 daily, totalling over £93m every year, just a 1% increase could save nearly £1m every single year.

Citizens are taking a digital-first approach now, more than ever when seeking information and support. With an ‘always-on’ culture, people can often expect to find the information they want and need 24/7. This is where social media plays a major role in the comms strategies of NHS organisations and moves teams away from more traditional channels of communication such as by phone. With 84% of the UK using social media every day for an average of 116 minutes, it is a powerful way to engage with and inform your community. Using a Social Media Management tool like Orlo allows Comms teams to listen and understand their audience, create plans to engage them on the key topics that matter most and your social channels will become a trusted source of health information, enhancing citizen satisfaction.

Communications teams are essential in engaging and educating the public about local health services via digital channels. As more people seek health information online, social media’s role in healthcare grows. Effective engagement is critical for improving efficiency, combating misinformation and reducing pressures on our already under pressure NHS. A clear communication strategy and the right tools are fundamental to enhancing patient experience and building trust with your community, ultimately rebuilding our NHS through a ‘digital first approach’.