Health and care integration will not happen unless budgets are pooled

Health and care integration will not happen unless budgets are pooled Siloed funding streams make it harder for services to work together. Despite the obstacles, full integration is the only way forward.

The desire to see integrated heathcare and social care services is broadly shared by care professionals, government bodies and special interest groups. But in England, successful integration is only found in local initiatives that focus on specific areas of care or patient groups. These successes are driven by joint working between local authorities and health trusts, plus third-sector organisations, and are to be commended; not least because they have generally been achieved despite national funding mechanisms working against them. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Integration is not a cure-all for health and care – look at Northern Ireland The Guardian
• Vanguard sites: new models of integration in health and social care The Guardian