The Background to the Policy-Making Process

Policy-making is usually a response to an identified need to change or improve current systems or processes in health and social care.
Understandably, these needs or issues are often complex and varied, with differing views on what should be done.
The policy-making process begins with “the identification of a policy issue”. This can occur because a problem has arisen that needs addressing or there has been a change in government that prompts a review of existing policies.
Once an issue has been identified, it’ll then move onto the “policy analysis” stage. Here, the problem is analysed in detail, considering various factors such as the scale of the problem, who is affected, what the likely impacts of different solutions might be, and the cost-effectiveness of these potential solutions.
Following this is the “policy development” stage. This involves creating a draught policy to address the issue, taking into account the analysis conducted in the previous stage.
The developed policy will then undergo “consultation” where it is shared with interested parties who are invited to comment or provide feedback.
Upon receiving feedback, the draught policy is revised and refined during the “coordination” stage before it is finalised.
Once finalised, the policy must then be “approved” by relevant policy approval authorities.
After approval, the policy is then “implemented”. This means it is adopted by those it affects and is put into practise.
The last step of the policy-making process is “review”. This is where the implemented policy is continuously monitored and reviewed to assess if it is working as intended, and if necessary, whether further amendments are required.

Bear in mind that this process does not always happen in a linear way and that stages can often overlap. Furthermore, interests of various stakeholders such as healthcare professionals, patients and governmental bodies can influence policy-making in health and social care in different ways and at different stages.