Social value – lofty ambition or lifeline for healthcare?

Delivering social value is just one of many items on the 'to do' list for Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and could easily fall prey to the more immediate challenges of day-to-day care. But embedding social value in system-wide planning is not optional. 

Net zero carbon targets are already baked into NHS plans, with procurement contracts assigning at least a 10% weighting to social value and all NHS suppliers needing to demonstrate carbon reduction plans by April 2024. 

This is just the start. The long-term intention behind social value is to build stronger, more resilient communities to reduce the burden on public services and minimise our collective impact on the environment. Reducing our carbon footprint doesn't just help the planet – it will reduce the number of pollution-related illnesses and deaths, in turn releasing some of the pressure on NHS services. This goes right to the heart of the role of ICBs as anchor institutions. When you consider the number of people employed and services provided by the public and voluntary sectors, and the resources and expertise required to deliver sustainable services, ICBs are uniquely placed to tackle urgent environmental, social and economic pressures. 

Knowing where to begin 

The challenge for ICBs is knowing where and how to start, particularly amidst so many competing priorities. Delivering social value is complex, not least because the potential remit is so broad. In our experience, a good place to begin is in developing a system-wide 'charter' which sets the vision and priorities for achieving social value. What are the values and behaviours you want to set for your system? How will that change how you commission services and what metrics will you use to determine your progress? Once these foundations are in place, it's easier to define, implement and measure initiatives across all partners. 

Fostering collaborative approaches 

The NHS has a strong track record of sharing expertise to fast-track improvements, and there is value to be gained from applying a similar approach here. System-wide working is still relatively new and, while each system has its own unique characteristics, by sharing information and ideas, ICBs can support each other to achieve ambitious climate targets and start making serious inroads into the causes of health inequalities. 

Engaging with our communities 

Importantly, we also need to strengthen how we engage with our communities to identify creative and holistic solutions which not only solve a specific need but also bring wider long-term benefits. Social prescribing is just one example of this. Prescribing someone a bike or other exercise equipment, rather than anti-depressants, to help tackle mental health or social isolation reduces reliance on medication, while delivering greater health and wellbeing benefits through improved fitness and socialising. This in turn can help to grow social networks and support that person to become more self-reliant and less dependent upon public services. This could lead to a reduction in the high number of GP appointments that are linked to loneliness. 

Aligning these different priorities won't happen overnight. But when faced with mounting evidence of the harmful impacts of climate change, rising levels of respiratory and heart disease, and increasing pressure on public services, it's clear that social value deserves its place at the top end of the ICB 'to do' list – progress has to be made. 

This blog was originally published by Healthcare Leader and is available here:
https://healthcareleadernews.com/views/social-value-lofty-ambition-or-lifeline-for-healthcare/