Millions of patients across London will now receive improved, personalised healthcare as part of a major expansion of the Universal Care Plan (UCP), a shared care planning solution powered by Better.
This milestone marks a significant step towards a more holistic, personalised approach to healthcare planning, ensuring patients receive coordinated care that aligns with their individual needs, preferences, and goals.
Enhancing care for more patients
The expansion beyond the UCP’s initial focus on end-of-life and palliative care planning introduces new care planning sections for patients with dementia, frailty, learning disabilities, and autism. It also includes enhanced support for children and young people, as well as contingency planning for carers. This follows an earlier expansion to support people with sickle cell disease.
“This latest expansion moves us beyond disease-specific planning to a truly personalised care and support plan, where what matters to a patient is just as important as what is the matter with them,” said Nick Tigere, Head of the UCP Programme.
Improving patient outcomes and NHS efficiency
The UCP has already demonstrated success in improving outcomes for end-of-life care patients, with 70% achieving their preferred place of death, compared to the national average of 50-55%. Additionally, unplanned hospital admissions are reduced to 30%, significantly lower than the national average of 46%.
By providing a single, integrated care plan, the UCP streamlines care for patients with multiple long-term conditions, ensuring a more coordinated approach across services. This helps to free up NHS resources, reduce hospital admissions, and create capacity for elective procedures, ultimately supporting the NHS’s strategic goal of delivering more care outside of hospital settings.
“Where patients have a UCP, we see fewer unnecessary hospital admissions and a greater likelihood of receiving care in their preferred location. This supports both patient choice and NHS capacity,” said Nick Tigere.
The UCP integrates with social care, care homes, acute care, community hospices, and primary care to ensure seamless information sharing across healthcare providers. It is also connected to the London Care Record, enhancing accessibility for healthcare professionals across different settings, and the National Record Locator, enabling the care plans of Londoners and patients seen in London to be accessed nationwide.
Empowering patients through digital access
As part of the expansion, patients can now view their care plans via the NHS App, with plans to introduce editing functionality in spring 2025. This will allow individuals to update their non-clinical information, such as personal preferences and daily routines, reducing the burden on clinicians while empowering patients to take an active role in their care.
Dr. Francesca Leithold, Global Service Delivery Director at Better, highlighted the importance of accessibility in this expansion: “The restructure of the forms is intended to create a clearer interface, structuring information in a better way. Making the care plan editable for patients over the next two quarters will enhance patient engagement and autonomy.”
Additionally, an upcoming GP Connect integration is set to enhance clinical safety by ensuring automatic access to GP medication and allergy records, reducing duplication and administrative workload for healthcare providers.
A future-focused approach to care
The UCP expansion follows a thorough evaluation process assessing digital maturity, readiness, and business case feasibility. The primary aim is to ensure that more Londoners have access to personalised, accessible care plans.
“This expansion marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Universal Care Plan,” said Dr. Leithold. “It demonstrates our commitment to making personalised care plans accessible to more people, providing tailored support that adapts to the needs of every individual. By expanding the scope of the UCP, we are empowering patients, improving outcomes, and supporting a healthcare system that’s more efficient and responsive to the diverse needs of the public.”
