Former health secretary’s vision for the future of health and social care

Integrating health and social care is the way to achieve a better NHS, according to a former health secretary.

Stephen Dorrell also highlighted the need to improve efficiency in order to fulfil care needs for the 21st Century when he spoke to an audience of GPs, clinical commissioners and carers at the second day of the Health+Care 2013 conference at Excel London yesterday.

Mr Dorrell echoed the views of shadow health secretary Andy Burnham, who spoke at the event on Wednesday, when he said he believes health and wellbeing boards and clinical commissioning groups (CCG) will be the catalyst for social change. He added that whoever is in power should try to evolve the existing infrastructure of the system, rather than trying to rewrite statute.

Speaking as part of a debate with other influential health and social care figures, Mr Dorrell said: “Most of us would rather see the current system evolve, rather than being torn out by the roots and starting again.”

Ralph Collett, conference director, said: “This closing debate highlighted where we are with CCGs and health and wellbeing boards. People are getting used to them and are seeing them as vehicles for positive change. From what we have learnt over the last two days, there is absolutely no doubt integration in the future for healthcare in this country.

“Everyone at Health+Care 2013 is looking forward to the future, and seeing all these great initiatives turned into facts on the ground.” Health+Care 2013, organised by Closer2 Medical, is a new event which brings together health and social care commissioners and providers to develop how they are going to work together in the future.