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Sue Ryder Care leads the way with innovative care

7 July 2008

The innovative approach Sue Ryder Care is taking to promote independent living for people living with conditions including multiple sclerosis, stroke and cancer was celebrated at the ‘Innovators in Care: How Sue Ryder Care is Making Independent Living a Reality’ reception at the House of Commons on Monday 30 June.

Coinciding with the launch of the Darzi Review, which stressed the importance of innovation in care and the care the voluntary sector currently provide, and with independent living becoming a key driver of current government policy, Sue Ryder Care demonstrated how it is embodying these principles and providing modern solutions to care.

Speakers included Campbell Robb, Director General of the Office of Third Sector, Dr Ian Gibson MP, Paul Woodward, Chief Executive of Sue Ryder Care, and Sally Laws, who recounted her experiences of the 5Rs programme.

The 5Rs is a pioneering day care service developed by Sue Ryder Care - The Chantry, in Ipswich, to support people living with multiple sclerosis and their carers. The programme is based on the principles of Re-energise, Re-integrate, Re-build, Relax, and Re-generate and offers a ten-week programme created to promote independence, choice and confidence building.

The event also put the spotlight on Palliative Initiatives in Neurological Care (PINC), which took established end of life care tools, adapting them specifically for the estimated 300,000 people with neurological conditions every year do not receive the palliative care they need.

Sue Ryder Care called upon the government to support the charity in continuing to developing life changing innovative services that meet the needs of local communities across the country. The charity highlighted, under the banner of its ‘We Care: Who Pays’ campaign that last year it experienced funding shortfalls from the state of £7 million for the basic services it provides to Primary Care Trusts and Local Authorities, within £6 million of this on hospice care alone. If the charity were paid the true cost for the basic level of care it provides, as recommended under The Compact, the charity would be able to use more of its voluntary donations to develop much needed new and innovative services.

Paul Woodward, Chief Executive of Sue Ryder Care, said: “Sue Ryder Care’s vision is ‘Care That Liberates Lives’, which has innovation at its centre. We are dedicated to finding solutions to provide modern models of care, and producing best practice examples that could be rolled out across the UK. By helping people to live independently, we are in total agreement with current government policy of caring for people in their homes and communities and promoting independent living. We are dedicated to playing our full role in developing the vital services of the future and will continue to work in partnership with the NHS, as promoted by the final report by Lord Darzi.  To do this we need the state to honour its commitment through policy such as the Compact and ensure that care commissioners pay the true cost of the basic care they purchase from us. We believe that valuable voluntary funding should not be used for propping up statutory shortfalls - but for developing and maintaining new and innovative services which enable people to live their lives to the full.  It is vital that the Government recognises third sector organisations provide specialist care and supports them appropriately.”

Sue Ryder Care And Innovation - The Context

• The Compact recognises the unique role the third sector can play in providing services on behalf of the government and encourages the two to foster strong partnerships to allow third sector service organisations to continue as service providers

• The Department of Health has prioritised the use of innovation and improvement as part of its World Class Commissioning Programme

• The final report of the Third Sector Review, conducted by the Office of the Third Sector, described third sector service providers as catalysts for change and praised them for ‘developing dynamic, innovative solutions’

• In the final report, the Darzi review of the NHS has emphasised and prioritised the use of innovation, giving SHAs the legal duty to promote innovation

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