ABSTRACT
Political decisions related to austerity have contributed to the ongoing pressures on the NHS, low morale among staff and difficulties in looking after patients. This has been particularly exaggerated by the pandemic. The workforce impacts upon everything else in the NHS and particularly quality of care for patients. Pressures on the staff are intolerable. Many retired folks would volunteer and help, if there were more opportunities with appropriate support. There is a real opportunity for integrated care systems to really bring together the resources in communities and to create, for example, community hubs which can be supportive of communities, and vulnerable people can talk to others when they’re feeling worried, unwell or experiencing relapse. Thinking outside the box is important in this context which would also help nip some of those problems in the bud. Initiatives like this will help people stay better and get better and be healthier and connect with their communities. The Cartesian dichotomy between mental and physical health is really problematic and needs revisiting.
