The Government’s Health and Care Integration White Paper sets out a thorough and comprehensive plan for the future of services, but changes can only be delivered with adequate resources and the shared commitment of the NHS and local government.
The LGA supports the commitment and vision of the White Paper that place continues to have a strong role in joining up planning, resourcing and delivery of care and support to improve outcomes for individuals and wider population health outcomes. However, the commitment to joining up NHS and adult social care workforce planning at place and system level, and the commitment for sharing data with partners and users of services comes with no additional resources.
Across the country, local government and the NHS have long-been working to join up care and support, so it is great to see that the Government’s proposals for health and care integration is a reiteration that they are committed to escalating the scale and pace integration.
The clear focus on integration at place is a welcome reminder that though integrated care systems (ICSs) will make connections and drive this agenda at system level, it is at place level that most care and support will continue to be planned and delivered.
We are glad to see a focus on improving population health outcomes and health inequalities, as well as person-centre care and support. Place-based leadership, planning and delivery of care is going to be crucial in delivering for our communities, and most current systems of care are managed within local authority boundaries. In areas with complex ICS and place footprints, this will be a challenge, but we are keen to work with local government and NHS leaders to make this work for our citizens.
To achieve a successful delivery of place-based care, health and care needs adequate resources directed to where they are most needed and evidence-based planning to use them where they will achieve the best outcomes. This needs strong local information based on needs and health disparities, a skilled and high-quality workforce working in place based multidisciplinary teams and the freedom and flexibility for local NHS and council leaders to identify their own shared priorities and action plans. Local authority and NHS leaders also need to reach agreement on arrangements for place-based accountability.
It is key for the success of this plan that each area of integration has the support, funding and resource necessary to make this transition as smooth as possible. The changes must not come at any sacrifice in quality of care to patients or those who draw on social care. We ask the Government to work closely with all aspects of health and social care and deliver the required means to make this transition a success.
We will continue to work with Government to identify the true costs and seek additional funding to ensure that place-based integration delivers better outcomes, better services and better use of resources. Adult social care is already in a fragile position, with councils struggling to balance budgets and services severely impacted by rising costs and recruitment issues. These proposals should come with no further financial or administrative burdens to the current system.