With the care and support sector under the greatest pressure to perform, more so than at any time since the creation of the welfare state, the need for radical ideas to better integrate health and social care services has never been more urgent.
Minister for Care and Support Norman Lamb is a champion of greater integration as a means to deliver person-centred care, where health and care services work together to meet individual needs and stop the most vulnerable in our society falling through the gaps. Better data sharing, earlier interventions to prevent hospitalisation and a greater focus on community based care are just some of the changes he believes are needed to deliver truly integrated services.
His announcement today of 14 integration pioneer areas is the latest expression of this desire to drive better coordination of health and care services across the system through innovative actions and solutions.
Read the press release for full details of the 14 pioneers.