UNIT1: An Introduction to Health and Social Care

Unit 1 An introduction to health and social care of Level 3 Diploma helps us to understand the meaning of healthcare, social care and hierarchy of health and social care in the UK.

What is Healthcare?

Healthcare is made up of the following activities such as diagnosing, treating and preventing any sort of mental and physical illness. All this is done by the healthcare to promote the well being of the people in the UK. National Health Services (NHS) is a UK institute which provides free-of-cost basic health services to the elderly citizen, for instance, emergency services, first aid, prescription, seasonal illness, etc. Services like dental care and eye tests are not included in this.

What comes under Social Care?

The community care services falls under social care. The services include day-care , community centre, aid at home, mental health and more. For instance , person who is mentally not stable can get social care from his friends or family members. Local council and police is also responsible.

What is Continuing Healthcare?

Any person who is physically and mentally ill can get free of cost service at home , this is known as continuing healthcare. One can access this service on mental health basis only. This is done by nurses, social carer and others.

Hierarchy of Health and Social Care in the UK

In UK Health and Social Care is divided into three bodies which are as follows :

1. Department of Heath and Social Care (DHSC)  :This department helps to create policies for the betterment of the people who are suffering  physically and mentally. Three members of parliament and three ministers of the state together helps to lead the department. DHSC execute its policies through ALB.

2. Arm’s Length(ALB) :Arm’s Length as already discussed helps to execute and govern the policies for the government. There are two bodies of arm’s length I.e, Executive agencies and Executive non-departmental public bodies .

The executive agencies helps to carry out ministerial orders and policies .These are :

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
• Public Health England (PHE)

Whereas the executive non-departmental public bodies  are given assigned work at the arms-length ministers. There are thirteen agencies currently such as :

• Human Tissue Authority
• Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority
• NHS Blood and Transport
• National Institute of Health and Care Excellence
• NHS Business Services Authority
• Care Quality Commission
• NHS Digital
• Health Education England
• NHS England
• NHS improvement
• NHS Resolution
• NHS Counter Fraud Authority

3. Local Authorities: Local Authorities such as police, council and more are responsible for promoting healthy life of individual , minimizing the needs for care and support , spreading awareness and promoting dignity and quality.

Two types of Health and Social Care Teams

• Interdisciplinary teams includes doctors , carers ,patients , therapists and other professional .
• Multidisciplinary teams includes social worker and psychiatrist.

How to Overcome Inter-professional teams barriers ?

• Build the trust between the team members.
• Make sure there is constant flow of information.
• Resolve the conflict.

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