Updating Health Care Policies in Response to Socio-Political Changes

The government of the United Kingdom has consistently worked towards improving healthcare services, especially since World War Two. In order to achieve this goal, the government updates its health care plans and policies to meet new challenges and issues that arise over time. However, reducing income levels for personnel can result in a decrease in access to healthcare services, thus requiring the government to keep pace with reports and findings from regulatory bodies such as CQC.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS.....................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................3
TASK 1.............................................................................................................................3
1.1 Historical and contemporary landmarks in social welfare provision in UK..............3
1.2Examing the past and current social policies related to health and welfare needs of
the population of UK.....................................................................................................4
TASK 2.............................................................................................................................5
(a) Discussing process involved in developing key health and social policy legislation5
(b) Evaluating the impact of policies and outcomes on services and role of person
centred care..................................................................................................................6
TASK 3.............................................................................................................................7
3.1 Critically analyzing the contemporary policy developments in HSC and...............7
3.2Evaluating the impact of the current policy initiatives on HSC service users...........7
3.3 Explaining the role of these policies in improving quality of life of service users....8
TASK 4.............................................................................................................................8
4.1 Evaluating recent development in HSC over last ten years....................................8
4.2.................................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................. 9
REFERENCES...............................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Social policies can be defined as the guidelines, legislations and different
principles that work towards human welfare. It entails the study of different social
relations that are necessary for the well being of mankind. The department of Social
Policy that is active at London School of Economics has defined Social Policy as an
interdisciplinary and applied subject that is concerned with analysis of society. Thus this
report will also undertake a detailed study of social policies that are active in health and
social care in UK and what have been its key legislations since 1945 (Martin,
Charlesworth and Henderson, 2010). The origin of social policies will be studied along
with the impact of the same on health and social care. An investigation will also be
carried out of the recent developments that have been made in health care sector of
UK. These developments will also help in understanding what changes have been
made over time in response to emerging social political and economic trends (Johnson
and D’Souza, 2008).
TASK 1
1.1 Historical and contemporary landmarks in social welfare provision in UK
The social welfare provisions are considered to pertain on any program that is
seek by the government to provide certain level of support to the disadvantaged people
like poor, disabled, unpaid workers, old age, patients, etc. The states or the nations that
tend to offer a broader perspective of social welfare programs are known as ‘welfare
states’ that tend to provide guaranteed minimum standard of life along with illness as
well as social deprivation, etc (Nollan, Moonie and Lavers, 2005). Welfare service also
comprises of social security that makes all the provisions against any form of disruption
of earning that is caused due to old age, sickness, injury, etc. Historical landmark of
welfare system began in late 19th century in Western Europe and after that in 1911, UK
and Russia introduced National Health Insurance. In 1940, UK took a lead and created
a comprehensive welfare state that covered all elements (Humphries, 2010). With this
service users can access good quality of services from nearby care homes. However,
these formulated regulation brought continuous improvement in health and social care
services of UK. After that the Labor Government was elected in the country and they
introduced three vital acts that are:
 The National Health Service Act in 1946,
 The 1946 National Insurance Act, and
 The 1948, National Assistance Act that abolished the poor law and made the
provisions for welfare services (Jutlla and Moreland, 2009).
Another important aspect that was considered was regarding the social and
health welfare in UK was done through social citizenship model. The issues that were
present regarding social citizenship model were not that challenging especially in the
anticipation of the emergence of the conservative party leader in 1975 and prime
minister in 1979 (Stratton and Tadd, 2005). They promised low taxes, less interventions
of state and low level of public spending. There was also a Family Allowance Act in
1945 that ensured that the children below the age of 15 who are dependent and
children of the age 15-28 and all other non working children will be supported by family
allowances and child tax allowance (Rosi, Mamei and Zambonelli, 2013).
In addition to it, National Health System in 1948 supported the people of UK by
providing free diagnosis as well as treatment of any kind of illness, at hospital or at
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home. Similarly, National Assistance Act also created a financial safety for the people
who drastically suffered from poverty because they were not covered under National
Insurance Scheme (Parry and Tyson, 2009). In addition to this, contemporary landmark
are current legislation and policies which facilitate take care of number of residents of
UK. Here, different acts like Health and Safety Care Act 2012 and Equality tend to
ensure protection of people and provide them good quality of services to large number
of users. Furthermore, provisions and regulations are also made for vulnerable people
so they can have equal treatment in society. This brings improvement in service quality
and cater need of users effectively. Thus all these are the provisions that have been
taken and implemented by the government of UK since past few decades for improving
the health and living conditions of the people of UK. All these social policies have
helped in improving the quality of life and standard of living of the people in the country
since some social eras and after world war. Life expectancies of people have also
improved and people do live quite a healthy life in UK (Albareda and et.al, 2006).
According to the above landmark, quality of life for services users have been
improved to a great extent. It is because users are provided opportunity to file complaint
against care home, if services are not provided up to the mark. On the other hand, in
current scenario collaborative working in health and social sector has become very
common. This tends to provide quick services to users because care home provide
number of services as experts and experienced people work with integrity. Moreover,
vulnerable adults are cared with more attention now a days due to actions taken by
government against liable people. Thus, Care Quality Commission is working properly
to ensure that users and staff members in care home are treated in right manner and
their needs are catered effectively.
1.2Examing the past and current social policies related to health and welfare needs of
the population of UK
The major evolution in health and social care sector were made post 1945 in UK
and the government during the war time was committed to provide full employment
through its Keynesian policies and provided free education, introduced secondary
allowances and many other such actions were taken after 1945. Later in 1948, the
much hated poor law that was active since last 350 years was also abolished and
actions were taken for the introduction of social policies that also included national
insurance, health services, and assistance acts that totally brought a great deal of
changes in the conditions of the country on a larger scale. All these acts came into force
on June 7th, 1948 (Stewart and MacIntyre, 2013).
Moving to 20th century, many fundamental changes were made following
Second World War that was introduced under Labor Government in accordance with
the blue print that was presented in the Beveridge Report of 1942. Thus the period of
1945-1970 is considered as an ideological period for the country as many major social
changes were brought in that impacted the contemporary social policies in UK. It was
the period of one of the political consensus that enshrined the idea of mixed economy
and a welfare state (Seddon and et.al, 2013). At that time, UK government brought
changes in health and social care policies through which users can effectively treated
for their various disease. Similarly, the in between second world war, commencement of
The National Health Service in England took place by the National Health Service Act
1946.
4

During this period, it was assumed that societies had progressed and the state
provided universal provision for welfare to all the citizens of the country. This movement
to a welfare state from the poor law is generally referred as a kind of progression
towards ‘institutional welfare from the residual provision. During the two decades after
war, government of UK believed in the Beveridges social idea and Keynesian demand
management (Paulus and et.al, 2000). But in late 1960s, all these economic policies
failed and UK faced a fiscal crisis. After that the conservatives were elected in 1979 that
dominated with the new ideology and made all efforts to bring in positive change in the
post-war consensus. Thus this period was characterized by neo-liberal thinking that
questioned the ways of forming a welfare state and these ways impacted the policy
making and welfare systems during recent decades. Therefore, before and after second
world war social policies of UK have been changed to a great extent (Wait and Nolte,
2005). However, there are failure and success in implementation of health care policies.
TASK 2
(a) Discussing process involved in developing key health and social policy legislation
The act of Parliament tends to create new laws and bring about the changes in
the existing laws as well. All the acts of parliament start its life as a bill that is passed
through parliament first. The public bills originate from different number of sources like it
may arise from government, political parties, civil services, etc (Thane, 2009). It is the
government that decides on agreeing or disagreeing on all those proposals before they
are presented in parliament. After the department agrees upon it, then it is presented in
parliament during which it undergoes a consultation process amongst the parties that
are interested in it. The extent of this process might differ on the basis of complexity,
urgency or importance (Brown, Tucker and Domokos, 2003).
During the first stage of consultation is known as green paper during which
government seek different advices and asks for different views, and once those
discussions are taken into consideration, government produces white paper that tend to
set out the proposal decided upon. Both these stages can be contracted as one. The
overall health care systems are shaped under policy making process or federal
legislations that tend to govern the provisions of health care services (Stratton and
Tadd, 2005). The nature of policies, location of decision making in public and private
sector and the scope of different issues have a great deal of impact on all the
characteristics of social policies. Thus there are basically three phases of policy making
that are classified below:
 The formulation phase: during this phase, there is the feeding up of ideas,
information and different research knowledge from the key societal people like
organization, and other interest groups (Imison and Bohmer, 2013). This is the
time when issues are framed and its purpose as well as all of its desired
outcomes are clearly identified and on the basis of the same, and the resources
that are required are identified and planned.
 Implementation phase: This is phase during which disseminating of information
about the policy that have been selected is done and then it is put further into
action. During implementation phase, the proposed policy is finally transformed
into action plans (Busse, Schlette and Weinbrenner, 2005).
 Evaluation phase: finally, the policy making process involves the evaluation and
modification phase that comes into existence when the existing policies are
5

revisited and can be amended or may be rewritten in order to make certain
changes in accordance to the changing circumstances (Coughlan, Cronin and
Ryan, 2013).
(b) Evaluating the impact of policies and outcomes on services and role of person
centred care
Health is dependent upon numerous factors but the main factors that currently affect the
health and social care in UK are smoking, alcohol, imbalanced, diets, lack of exercise,
etc. Although UK government is working hard for reducing the impact or influence of
these factors, but it is the people who need to rethink and put an end to the same and
have to bring a positive change towards healthcare. Apart from these, there are many
other factors also that had brought high influences (Withington, 2010). The experience,
judgment and expertise of policy makers are the people who have a great responsibility
for planning and delivering public services that are very important in policy making
process and bring a positive influence. All these have positively influenced the
formulation of social policies. Thus these values and value system within the
contemporary politics of the country have also contributed in a great way towards the
policy making process (Glasby, 2012). The Nation Insurance Act 1946 was necessary
for all employees except married women. For this purpose they were paid in case of
illness and old and unemployment situation (1940's Origins of the Welfare State, 2016).
Similarly, pension provision was made for men when they reach to age of 65 and 60 in
case of women. It serves as the security for them which leads to encourage them to
work for longer time span. However, currently state pension policy has been changed.
The per week full new state pension will be £155.65. The amendments in the provision
depicts that if a person want to continue job even at the completion of state pension age
then they are not supposed to pay National Insurance (The new State Pension, 2016).
At the same time, they have right to request for flexible working arrangement so as to
ensure non-stop work and earn enough income to meet their requirement. It proves to
be effective in bringing improvement in present quality of life of users.
Policy making also includes different ideologies, beliefs and different
commitments which frame out ways of doing things that sometimes also defies rational
explanation of the factors that exists and the change that need to be made during the
formulation of social policy. Policy making has also affected the habitual and traditional
ways of doing things that most of the time might defy the rational explanations that
cannot be done while making or implementing policies. Thus the policy making process
can be highly affected by certain unforeseen circumstances and contingencies (Martin,
2003). On the other hand, development of social policies brought many positive
influences and also provided better benefits to the service users such as development
of strategies of different health promotions, food handling, data protection, care practice,
mental health and many others. In addition to this, person centred care could be
improved for services with the on-going policy change from the government. Here,
views and suggestions of belongings of users as well as users can be taken to bring
improvement in policies and procedure. It facilitates government ensure inclusion of
right kind of policies at care home. Not only this, but person centred approach could be
one of the imperative aspect to understand the specific need of users and families and
society. Moreover, on-going policy of government can be implemented in right manner
by incorporating views and suggestions of service users.
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TASK 3
3.1 Critically analyzing the contemporary policy developments in HSC and
Policy implementation is not an easy process rather is much more complex
process than government’s stance allows. There is also a great difficulty in framing the
national policies and taking decisions whether national initiatives from different
departments are disconnected or joined up that might also disable certain forces rather
than bringing in good productivity or yielding and also about who should be taking
actions on the local level to implement national policy like for instance, NHS, local
government, regional agencies or any other organization (Morris, 2006). The
organizations that are involved in policy implementation confront ‘the central paradox of
autonomy and control’. Implementing social policy also helps in exploring different social
issues that are responsible for delivering human services both within and outside the
government exploring different issues involved in health and social care (Gomm and
Davies, 2000).
The successful implementation of policies involves a common agenda and the
long term joint commitments between different agencies but also maintains the degree
of transparency about the model that has been adopted for health. If the policy has
been successfully implemented, then the organizations that have responsibilities for its
implementation also are then involved in designing. Policy implementation helps in
securing effectiveness in order to entail number of structural, procedural and behavioral
approaches (Lowes and Hulatt, 2013). This implementation of policies involves
attainment of different legislative goals and also helps in indicating the areas wherein
the entire major problem lies. The success of these policies in turn gave a major rise in
employment opportunities in health and social care sector and provided financial
savings for to the public sectors that were under pressure so that they can deliver high
quality of social care to the people who need it (Martin, Charlesworth and Henderson,
2010).
3.2Evaluating the impact of the current policy initiatives on HSC service users
The government of United Kingdom uses numerous methods for evaluation in
order to ensure that policies, programs and different public services are planned and
also delivered effectively and efficiently to the users of those services. The
commitments made by the government are the major driving force that ensures high
quality of policy evaluation to the people on different that are based on policy making
(Johnson and D’Souza, 2008). It also requires that the people who implement the
policies and the ones who make it also utilize the evidences that are available from
national statistics, economic theories, and pilots, evaluations undertaken in past and
numerous commissioned researches after undertaking systematic consultation with the
delivery agents (Nollan, Moonie and Lavers, 2005).
There are also different government strategies that are formulated for measuring
public spending and taxations also tend to provide the context within which the
evaluation of the policies takes place in UK. The government of the country also
undertakes and is still undertaking the numerous randomized and controlled trials of the
different initiatives taken for social policy formulation (Humphries, 2010). In the field of
labor market and the welfare policies, the Restart Revolution of 1990 has helped in
allocating all the unemployed people for getting compulsory and major interviews at the
7

employment for more than 6 months. This has been done to witness the effects of
successfully reintroducing certain policies to the labor markets. It is one of the largest,
well known and randomized controlled trials that have taken place in UK and it has also
helped in re-establishing the clear and positive impact on the existing unemployment
that lasts since many years (Jutlla and Moreland, 2009). Furthermore, contemporary
policy department is important in health and social care of UK as it support care home
to render good quality of services to users. Similarly, government is taking initiatives to
improve quality through proper investigation and supervision. This serves as the
effective process to resolve issues which are being faced by patients. Similarly,
initiatives has been taken in health sector with regard to person centred approach. This
aspects tends to reduce stress level in society for people with specific disease like
dementia, Alzheimer and other related. Apart from this, contemporary policy
development provide protection for child abuse, vulnerable people and women. It leads
to ensure well being of society.
3.3 Explaining the role of these policies in improving quality of life of service users
This part will discuss the impact of National Health Services that have brought a
positive effect on the society of UK. The highest benefit in the recent times that have
been provided by NHS is that the usage or consumption of drugs and alcohol has
reduced to a great extent. This was the key concern that was affecting the country’s
cultural and individual development and many communities in the country were
experiencing debilitating effects on the people’s health (Falling drug use: the impact of
treatment, 2012 ). The treatment system undertaken by National Health Services has
helped at a great level in shrinking the pool of heroin and crack addicts. This has been
done by taking the increasing number of people especially the drug users into the
treatments and also taking them effectively off the streets and then after breaking these
habits of entrenched use of drugs (Rosi, Mamei and Zambonelli, 2013).
National Health System also had a drug treatment system but was at a point of
time was uncoordinated and inconsistent and also did not favor the dependent users
who certainly needed the help. Thus in order to put a control back again, variable
standards for treatments were kept and many were dropped out to put everything in
right order and help maximum people in getting rid of this addiction. The result of the
same was that many people or drug addicts did not need street drugs and learnt better
ways to live their lives (Parry and Tyson, 2009). There were many rehabilitation centers
of National Health System as well that are still active to the date for eradicating these
problems completely out of UK’s society. These all stated policies prove to be effective
for service users because they are the ends users of different kind of services provided
by corporations. Furthermore, different policies formulated by government of UK tend to
reduce several issue like teenage pregnancy, children abuse and other related issues
which affect society in negative manner. In addition to this, regulatory policies of UK
government in health sector facilitates to ensure workplace safety of staff. It depicts that
safety and health regulations does not consider only users but also staff and general
community.
TASK 4
4.1 Evaluating recent development in HSC over last ten years
In recent time, many developments have taken place in UK with regards to health
and social care. National Health Service system has played a major role in
8

institutionalizing the same. NHS Trust was established in early 90s that is still providing
a major competency in improving the health care conditions of people in UK. Since the
year 2002, the department of health has also started supporting as well as promoting
the ideas of NHS Foundation Trusts. In April 2004, NHS also became the first trust in
UK to be awarded foundation status and that worked for improving the health
inequalities (Albareda and et.al, 2006). These inequality issues with the time became
the major source of improvement in financial strength and also showed the abilities of
NHS to offer better services than any other normal trust. Apart from this, collaborative
working has been started in health-care sector. It assists corporations to work with
integrity and cater need of users in an effectual manner. This aspects leads to mitigate
risk of health sector in term of finance, technology and inclusion of highly competent
staff. Furthermore, partnership working is assisting in reducing time taken to deliver
services. Apart from this, collectively organization comply all parameters laid down by
government of UK.
The status of NHS because of all the above reasons also changed and got the
status of earned autonomy. These trusts are rated on the basis of set of performance
shown by the organization that also raised the status of health and social care in UK
(Stewart and MacIntyre, 2013).
4.2
When compared to other nations, NHS in UK has shown a great and consistent
improvement in past few decades. Many vital illness and issues have been resolved
with high degree of standards and has provided a great quality to life. Comparing to
other countries, UK has improved the quality and efficiencies of health and services that
has enhanced the overall status as well as satisfaction of the country’s respective
population (Seddon and et.al, 2013). The major initiator in rising the standards are the
health authorities and municipalities of the country that took initiatives at individual city
level and step by step brought in development. In recent time also many improvements
have been witnessed in controlling the problems of obesity and in providing health and
social care services to the old age and physically challenged people. UK now has the
highest number of health and social care organizations in comparison to any other
country in the world which itself is the indicator of rising living conditions and standards
in the country (Paulus and et.al, 2000). In addition to government of country need to
cope up with changing scenario and accordingly amendments must be there in
regulatory framework with regard to health sector. For example, change in economy
may reduce income level of personnel which in turn it becomes little bit typical for them
to access health care services. For this purpose, government keep pace with reports
and findings of CQC and then bring modification in regulatory framework. In addition to
this, emerging socio-political changes also tend to effective current policies. Thus,
government need to update all policies on right time in order to ensure good living
standard of society and nation as well.
CONCLUSION
Thus it can be concluded in a nutshell that UK has always been consistent and
responsible for improving the health conditions of the people of its country and has
taken numerous initiative for the same especially with an immediate action post World
War Two. Numerous contemporary policies have been developed like National Health
System, Insurance and Assistance for providing all round support towards improving the
9

conditions. It has also improved the quality of life of the service users (Wait and Nolte,
2005). It is also discovered that it is very important for the country to keep on updating
its health care plans and policies to meet the new challenges or issues over time so as
to put control before the situations get worsened.
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