01.01.11
Real appetite for increased integration in health and social care
A new joint report from the NHS Confederation and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) shows that changes to the commissioning of health services could encourage more bottom up collaboration of health and social care
A report launched at the NHS Confederation’s annual conference says proposed changes to the commissioning of health services could lead to greater working between frontline health and social care staff in England.
The joint paper ‘Where next for health and social care integration?’, published by the NHS Confederation and Association of Director of Adult Social Services (ADASS), says greater integration across health and social care presents an opportunity to bring tangible improvements to patient care at a time when finances are constrained.
Based on feedback from primary care trust chief executives and directors of adult social care, it emphasises the benefits of local, organic relationships to help integrate NHS and local authority services over national initiatives and targets driven by central government.
Proposals to devolve commissioning to GP groups and involve local authorities more on matters of public health may present greater opportunities for more ‘bottom-up’ joint working, it says. This may in time lead to frontline staff including GPs, social workers, community and public health professionals taking on more accountability for setting priorities for local communities.
Jo Webber, deputy director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said: “This report tells us that local leaders want to coordinate their services in a way that focuses on bringing about real improvements for their local populations.
“A pooling of resources across health, social care and other public services could lead to improved change for elderly populations at a time when the current model of social care funding faces uncertainty. The operating framework has once again shone the spotlight on the need to join up hospitals and community and social services to improve the re-ablement of elderly patients.
”In the financial climate we find ourselves in, the acid test will be whether different, more integrated local models of health and social care can deliver high quality and cost effective services which are suitably tailored to the needs of the local population.
“The models for integration through the Total Place pilot have proved successful in its first year but the real challenge will be whether we can bring frontline healthcare staff and local councillors with us in its development.”
Richard Jones, president of ADASS, said: “Integrating health and social care services in the community is clearly an idea whose time has come. The vital importance of integration as we move forward together is that it offers both adult care and the NHS the opportunity to deliver better outcome, better joint commissioning and better use of resources as the demands on us to make significant efficiency gains grow more intense.
“There are big challenges ahead concerning the enduring effectiveness of our preventative services, transferring resources across a number of different agencies and developing a suitable governance model. But there is a real need for joint activity which enhances our capacity to make local solutions fit local needs, and further the Coalition Government’s objectives if devolving power to local decision makers in futures”
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]