As 2020 proved to be the least predictable year in modern times I have set myself the task of trying to make some predictions for 2021.  These have been based on conversations and correspondence I have had with senior leaders in the health sector along with my own knowledge built up from 16 years of recruiting into the sector.

• Communities will have a greater say in the re-design of the health service
  I think in 2021 the local community will build on the significant steps already taken in having a greater say in the re-design of the health service. Even at a granular level, the local hospital is often one of the largest employers in that local area so it stands to reason that the community should have a bigger say in its evolution. The government programme of refurbishing or building new acute and community healthcare facilities will now involve more community and public engagement than ever before and I think that from this year onwards the local community will have an even bigger say in community healthcare.


• Integrated Care Systems will gather momentum and the shift of influence will move away from the CCGs
  An Integrated Care System in partnership with local councils and other healthcare providers, take collective responsibility for managing resources, delivering NHS care, and improving the health of the population they serve. Integrated care systems have allowed organisations to work together and coordinate services more closely. The target set by the Government is that from April 2021 all parts of our health and care system will work together as Integrated Care Systems. This will result in the Providers taking a lead role in developing collaborative arrangements which will mean the CCGs having a reduced influence in the shape of healthcare delivery.


• An increase in Mental Health issues across the nation
  A mental health epidemic was already on the horizon before covid but the physical and emotional strain the pandemic has put upon all our lives, across all age ranges, will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the mental health of the nation. The government was finally giving mental well-being the recognition it deserved before the pandemic but I think this will need a major investment in 2021 and beyond to deal with the aftermath of the pandemic.


• Brexit will have an impact on the non-clinical workforce as well as the clinical
  The UK’s decision to leave the EU back in 2016 has had a number of impacts across a range of sectors none more so than recruitment and staffing.  A report compiled by the CIPD Labour Market Outlook shortly after the decision to leave the EU quickly showed that hiring hard to find skills was going to be more difficult. Fast forward to the present day and I think that the BI and Technology skill set, often resourced from outside the EU and recruited by NHS, will once again be in high demand and even shorter supply at a time when technology more so an ever is an enabler for healthcare.


• Wearable health-tech and its integration into our everyday lives will increase
  Wearable health-tech from the Fitbit to the Apple Watch has been common-place for a few years now but I think 2021 will be the year the use of health-tech will grow enormously. With technology being used that helps prevent illness by capturing data and then recommending treatments already beyond the pilot stage with some NHS trusts, coupled with the fact that insurance companies are using the same tech to calculate life and health insurance premiums, already show an increase in health-tech into our every-day lives.

If you have any predictions yourself or would like a conversation about these topics please get in contact.

Email: cmaddison@bostonhale.com
Number: 020 3587 7903