Survey reveals managers' concerns about integrating health and care

Survey reveals managers' concerns about integrating health and care  More than half of healthcare managers don't believe that integration will ease pressure on the NHS

Moves to integrate health and social care are regarded by many to be the turnkey solution to take the pressure off our healthcare system. The drive towards closer integration of services does makes sense with an ageing population and one in three older people living with a chronic condition, it is essential that we look at the architecture in place to deliver good quality, effective and compassionate care. Anything that can counter the ongoing fragmentation of services, reduce duplication and allocate resources in a more efficient way is to be welcomed, particularly as it should lead to improvements in patient care. The case has been made rather convincingly by the leaders in our healthcare system.

However, making integrated care a reality will fall to our health and social care managers. Ensuring that they feel comfortable, indeed positive, about the move towards closer integration is paramount. It was somewhat concerning that in spite of the case being made for integration, in our latest survey of Institute of Healthcare Management (IHM) members, more than half said they didn't believe that integrated care would take the pressure off the NHS. If we are to make integrated care a reality it is important that we listen to managers' concerns. Digging beneath this statistic there lay many legitimate concerns about integrated care that must be addressed. Continue reading... The Guardian