UK Policy & Guidance, UK & International Developments Relevant to Health and Care

Most countries across the world are increasing their interest in the use of technologies to improve efficiency and provide more effective responses to current health, housing and care challenges. There is much that UK can learn from around the world. This page covers a wide range of developments including funding, patient engagement, integrated care, long term condition support, ageing in place, care closer to home, discharge practice, carer support, personalised medicine, big data, mental health, research.

Policy/practice includes:

In England, overall NHS policy is led by the NHS Mandate (opens new window). NHS England (opens new window) is implementing a Five Year Forward View (opens new window). New care models are being developed through 50 vanguard sites (opens new window), 25 integration pioneers (opens new window) and 44 Sustainability and Transformation Plans (opens new window). The Department of Health (opens new window) has overall responsibility for health and care. NICE (opens new window) produces guidance and standards covering health and care.

Some social care guidance is available via Department of Health (opens new window) and SCIE (opens new window).

In Scotland, policy is developed by the Scottish Government (opens new window). In Wales it is the Welsh Government (opens new window). In Wales it is the Northern Ireland Executive (opens new window).

In Scotland there is an eHealth Strategy (opens new window). There is a Digital health and social care strategy for Wales (opens new window) and an eHealth and Care Strategy (opens new window) in Northern Ireland.