Health and Social Care Integration Workshop 25 May 2016
Health and Social Care Integration Workshop 25 May 2016
The South East has the fastest growing ageing population in the UK, which places ever greater demand on health and social care resources in the face of shrinking budgets. Integration offers significant opportunities to improve the quality of health and social care services while reducing costs. The challenge is to bring together district, unitary and county councils and the NHS – all of which have an essential role to play – to deliver high quality integrated care services when people need them, and in the most appropriate setting.
In her keynote address Cllr Izzi Seccombe, LGA Chair of Community Wellbeing Board asserted that local government have both democratic accountability and a strategic overview of residents’ needs making them the best agency to deliver a place-based approach to health and care. She emphasised the conditions for successful partnership working including clear governance, good delivery models and effective collaborative working to identify outcomes and challenges. She also highlighted the role of councils in place making, for example helping deliver care at home is important as services are not just delivered in hospitals. An integration toolkit developed by the LGA and NHS will be launched in July.
Rich Hornby, LGC Columnist and Chief Finance Officer Coastal West Sussex CCG, highlighted the financial challenges of integration. These included a lack of understanding of local government by the NHS – for example why Council Tax couldn’t simply be raised to increase funding and confusion about two tier structures. Integration of health and social care was a lower priority for the NHS than internal integration needs.
Members also heard that devolution was not necessary to make progress on integration. Matthew Macnair- Smith, Policy and Research Manager, NHS Confederation emphasised that the process of devolution for health services is not straightforward and despite the benefits of pooling budgets and functions, devolution will not necessarily solve the significant financial challenges of health and social care, unless the allocation of funding is addressed.
Examples of good practice showed that councils in the South East are making good progress towards integration and share an ambition for a seamless, person centred health and care service.
Case studies:
Enablement service allows patients to leave residential care more quickly
Kent CC
Supporting people to remain in their homes through housing adaptation
Elmbridge BC
Integrated Personal Commissioning puts patients in control of their own care
Hampshire CC
Youth outreach improves health and wellbeing in deprived areas
Oxford City Council
Links to speakers presentations:
Plugging the financial gap: Rich Hornby, Coastal West Sussex CCG
Integrated Personal Commissioning: Jess Hutchinson, Hampshire CC
Link to case study on Youtube
Youth Ambition Strategy: Craig Morbey, Oxford City Council
Future forum interactive debate
An interactive session saw lively debate, identifying key themes to help shape future SEEC and SESL input into the national debate. Delegates were invited to contribute their views, priorities and visions on the following key topics:
Eight emerging issues to help improve integration
Successful outcomes
Who owns and who benefits?
Practice or structure?
Working together
Challenges
Housing
