Unsustainable pressures on health and social care in Essex need radical change

As a society, we must ensure the care and support we will all need at some point in our lives is available to everyone. Unfortunately, that is not happening right now.

- Cllr Beverley Egan

We must be honest and recognise the current way of doing things is not sustainable. Reacting to cases, rather than preventing them in the first place, has become the norm.

That is not to say doctors, nurses, carers, social workers and practitioners do not go above and beyond - there is simply not enough joinedup support for them to carry on delivering quality yet affordable care.

I have chaired the independent Essex Caring Communities Commission for the past year. Myself and 11 other commissioners from the NHS, Salvation Army, universities, political groups and think tanks all come together with one goal in mind - improve outcomes for the residents living across Essex.

Over the months we have heard from and engaged with many frontline workers, service users, local organisations and regional bodies about the urgent challenges they face, as well as opportunities for improvement. From this, I am pleased to share the commission has published an ambitious report, setting out 23 actions for radical change.