The UK Systems Society is kindly administered by The Schumacher Institute
The UK Systems Society in association with SPMC
A one day conference at the University of Portsmouth
25th June 2018
Can systemic thinking reshape health services?
Provision of health service is facing major challenges in every country. Life expectancy has increased, people are active for longer, and citizens expect first class healthcare and for “repairs” to be done quickly to restore them to their full capacity. Some expectations are fantasy but others are justifiable, yet every day we hear or read about outcomes that give cause for concern.
In the UK we recognise that the NHS cannot continue in its present form. But the NHS is close to the heart of our citizens making major reforms difficult because of the intense passion that any discussion generates. But the NHS as a ‘system’ is more than ¾ of a century old. The way that illness and old age are viewed now is different to that when the health service was created. This conference will provide a platform for ideas that might contribute to a way forward.
Papers are invited from members of any ‘discipline’ who think about a ‘situation of concern’ from a holistic perspective. Holism is used here where there is a recognition that unity of its parts are so close and intense as to be more than the sum of its parts i.e. “The whole is more than the sum of its parts”.
We would be delighted to see and hear from you at this conference. To book visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ukss-conference-can-systemic-thinking-reshape-health-services-tickets-35725075663
Cost per delegate is £80. Registration by 15th February 2018
Delegate fee includes refreshments and lunch [but not evening meal] and full membership of the UKSS. For those wishing to stay overnight accommodation is available and should be booked separately through the university estates department. Details on request will be provided early in 2018.
Call for papers
Papers are invited across the spectrum of intellectual pursuit including health care professions; disciplines allied to medicine; social care; health informatics; ICT specialists; economists; central or local government; politicians and systems thinkers and practitioners from any methodological tradition.
Relevant topics might include (but are not limited to): o Analyses of challenges facing health services o Approaches to restructure delivery of primary and secondary health care; o Boundaries of health care, social care, education and other human systems; o Relationship of health care to supporting services, e.g. ambulance; paramedic; community services; pharmacies; o Contributions that IS and/or ICTs can make to health care delivery; o Relationship between preventative and curative health provision; o Political and fiscal implications of changes (or non-change) to health provision; o Consideration of demographics in relation to provision of services Abstracts should be submitted via EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ukss2018
Key dates Extended abstract submissions open 8th September 2017 Notification of abstract acceptance 8th October 2017 Full paper submission 15th December 2017 Notification of acceptance 15th Feb 2018 All accepted, full papers will be submitted to the UKSS journal for publication.