INNOVATIVE approaches to managing and providing care in South Somerset receive d national backing last week in an NHS announcement. A partnership of organisations led by Yeovil District Hospital, with the Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group, local GPs and Somerset County Council, submitted a bid to NHS England in February to become a Vanguard site , outlining a range of innovative developments that will make it easier for patients to receive the care and suppor t they need.

The announcement makes South Somerset the only Vanguard site in the South-West, and one of just 29 sites chosen from a field of 269.

At the hear t of the partnership’s aspirations is closer working between GPs, the hospital, community staff and social work - ers , with staff sharing expertise , resources and information to provide easier, swifter access to the right care and help avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital.

The plans could also see the development of a single budget and a single approach to commissioning care for people in South Somerset.

The county’ s older population is alread y significantly higher than the national average , which places a greater demand upon services . Local research indicates that 50% of NHS resources are used to care for just 4% of the local population, so the partnership’s plans will see specialist networks of services developed to care for those with the most complex needs.

As well as having increased access to national support, being a Vanguard site will enable the partnership to bid for additional transformation money to realise the local plans .

Yeovil District Hospital chief executive Paul Mears said: “The demand on local care services during this winter, and the challenges we have all faced in trying to meet that demand, demonstrate very clearly that we need to think differently.

“The future we described in our Vanguard bid is one in which every ke y component of the local care system is able to plan, act and react to local needs together, making the best possible use of our shared resources and of the wealth of local expertise , experience and intelligence.

“With the formal backing of NHS England, our focus no w is to mak e our aspirations a reality and star t implementing changes which will provide our population with access to exceptional, safe and sustainable care services.”

Dr David Cripps , chairman of the South Somerset GP Federation, said: “A s a Vanguard site we have crucial national backing for our plans to develop integrated, more accessible and more agile care services for our population, including some of our most vulnerable patients .

We’r e looking forward to furthering these plans with our partners over the coming months.”

The news has been welcomed by LibDem MP David Laws wh o described it as “fantastic news”

for patients and one the area should be “mightily proud of”, while Conservative parliamentary candidate Marcus Fysh said: “Everyone involved in the project so far should be very proud. No w the real work starts and it will have my full support.”