Friends Week 2010

Friends Week is 18th-24th October 2010.

The theme for Friends Week, Everyone Needs Friends, focuses on raising awareness of the great work of our member groups and the important role they play in health and social care.

Health and social care in the UK will radically change in the next few years.  The Big Society will impact greatly on the NHS, public health and social care.  The NHS will undergo a complete change in culture & behaviour in how it operates.  While the NHS budget has been ‘ring-fenced’ following the announcement of spending cuts across all government departments, it will nevertheless need to find £20bn of efficiency savings (reinvested in frontline services) and reduce NHS management costs by 45% over four years.

This changing landscape, while offering many challenges to our member groups, will also open up many opportunities for our member groups.  It would be logical to assume that the support of our member groups in enhancing patient care and the role volunteers play will become more vital to hospitals and the community.  It would also be logical to assume however, that not all hospitals and governing bodies recognise this.