This book describes numerous projects which shed light on some of the most persistent issues of the day in health and social care. The work demonstrates the importance of embedding the concept of flow into everyday health and social care thinking and creates insights into patient journeys through different conditions and treatments. It suggests that improving throughput across agencies is the key way to improving the performance of health treatment, whereas increasing capacity is the key way to improving the performance of social care by retaining independent living. The authors conclude that for state-provided care, balancing health and social care provision can eliminate the many stressful fire-fighting strategies hospitals have to undertake when faced with high demands, and this is a win-win scenario in terms of patients, staff and costs. Further, that there is a need for better understanding of the dynamics of population ageing, the dynamics of health conditions and the provision of better, integrated information systems. The book will be a valuable resource for practitioners, clinicians, managers and academics in health, social work, public health and public policy in many countries.
In this important book Eric Wolstenholme and Douglas McKelvie bring two lifetimes of award-winning experience in applying system dynamics to improving our very clinically advanced but often dysfunctional care systems.
- David F. Andersen, O’Leary Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus, State University of New York, Albany, USA.
Health and social care suffer from some persistent and serious problems which not only undermine well intended care but also impose considerable costs in many societies. This very welcome and exceptional book offers the hope of sound and sustainable solutions to many of these issues.
- Kim Warren, Strategy Dynamics, London, UK
Eric Wolstenholme: Eric began his career in engineering in which he holds a first degree and doctorate. Following a master’s degree in operational research he worked in the Operational Research Executive and Purchasing Department of British Coal before becoming an academic in Management Science at the Bradford School of Management. He has held full Professorial posts at, Stirling Leeds Beckett and London South Bank Universities in Management Science and Business Learning as well as helping to establish and direct two management consultancies - Cognitus and Symmetric. He has written two previous books and a wide range of peer reviewed research articles. Eric has an international reputation for his academic and consulting work and has been President of both the International Systems Dynamics Society and its UK Chapter. He was the founding Editor of the System Dynamics Review and in 2004 received the prestigious Jay Wright Forrester award for his contribution to System Dynamics. In2019 he received an Outstanding Contribution award from the UK Chapter of the System Dynamics Society.
Douglas McKelvie: Prior to joining Symmetric, Douglas worked for over 20 years in social work and social work education, including 10 years as a professional adviser for a national regulatory body. He has developed system dynamics models in health and social care services and for the criminal justice system. He works with policy analysts, public health experts, service commissioners and workforce planners, covering adult and children services, including mental health. Douglas is a member of the Policy Council of the UK Chapter of the System Dynamics Society and was President in 2016.
