Former NHS boss: Healthcare shifting away from hospital care

The former head of the NHS has suggested that healthcare services in the UK must move away from a hospital-centric model in order to succeed.

In an interview with BBC News, one-time NHS chief executive for England Lord Crisp suggested that community care is to become more of a focus than ever, due to the ageing population and the prevalence of long-term conditions.

Lord Crisp said the hospital sector is currently affected by overcapacity due to too many facilities being built under the Tony Blair administration, which is leading to funds being tied up in an inefficient manner.

As such, he stated that this is an issue the present government needs to grasp, with possible solutions including the closure of many sites.

"There will be less need for large hospital outpatient departments and some services and whole hospitals will need to close or be merged with others," he proposed.

Currently the government is preparing to begin the next phase of its listening exercise on NHS reforms, which will examine integrated care models as one of its key areas of focus.