Social care and NHS to unite under government's new Integration White Paper

The government has laid out plans to join social care and NHS together to stop people from "falling through the gaps" with a new Integrated White Paper.

The government’s announcement will ensure patients can receive “better, more joined-up care” and will help to eliminate the ‘complex and disjointed systems’ currently in place and will offer a more straight forward experience.

Proposals announced in the White Paper will include better NHS support to care homes. The integration between hospitals and social care would mean more specialist support so care home residents can be treated at the care home and avoid having to go to hospital.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The pandemic highlighted what our fantastic NHS and local government can achieve when they work together – from delivering the phenomenal vaccine rollout to supporting those who were shielding.

“We now want to build on these successes, joining up health and social care even more to deliver the best possible care – whether you want to see a GP quickly or live independently with dementia.

“These plans will ensure no patient falls between the gap, and that everyone receives the right care in the right place at the right time.”

'Integration White Paper is part of our wider plans to reform and recover the health and social care system'

The plans also include giving patients a single, digital care record so they can book appointments, order prescriptions, and communicate with their care providers on one platform while workers can access the patient’s latest information easily.

An integrated system will allow the NHS to notify a local authority straight away if a person requires social care support. Better information sharing will mean people will no longer have to remember key facts such as dates of diagnosis or medicines prescribed, taking pressure off patients to coordinate their own care.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Better integration is vital to stop people falling into the gaps between health and social care.

“Ensuring our health and care systems work in unison will mean we can support hardworking staff, provide better care to patients and deliver value for the taxpayer.

“Our Integration White Paper is part of our wider plans to reform and recover the health and social care system, ensuring everyone gets the treatment and care they need, when and where they need it.”

'We look forward to seeing what this White Paper says'

The Integration White Paper builds on both the Health and Social Care Bill and the People at the Heart of Care White Paper, announced in December, which set out a 10-year plan for social care funded through the Health and Care Levy.

In September, the Prime Minister announced a £5.4 billion funding package for adult social care reform over the next three years.

The Autumn Spending Review confirmed £1.7 billion would be used for improvements across the adult social care system.

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England said: "We look forward to seeing what this White Paper says and how the government’s plan will impact upon the adult social care sector.

"If the sector had been engaged with the formulation of the White Paper it may have stood a better chance of delivering an integrated system."

'I cannot help but feel we have been here before'

The Independent Care Group (ICG) welcomed its promises of greater joined up working between NHS and social care services but wants to see a "merger of those services," rather than just "repeated talk" of integration.

Chair Mike Padgham said: “Whilst all the promises of better choice, more personalised care, shared communications, better service access and coordinated services all sound very laudable, I cannot help but feel we have been here before.

“I fully welcome greater integration between NHS care services and those provided in the community, commissioned by local authorities and clinical commissioning groups.

“I think if we are honest, we can see having two separate services – one for NHS healthcare and one for social care – simply doesn’t work, however much government after government has promised and tried to integrate the two.

"All that happens, in reality, is that the status quo prevails and social care remains the poor relation – in terms of funding and status – to NHS care, which always gets the lion’s share of any money available."

He added: “The only way we can provide a proper service is through a merger and a decision whether a combined health and social care service is managed centrally, by the government or on a local level.”

'People who use social care aren’t patients'

The learning disability charity Mencap has welcomed the White Paper’s but warns that once integrated, social care must be seen as an "equal partnership" with the NHS or the measures in the White Paper and the Health and Care Bill could lead to the "medicalisation of social care".

Dan Scorer, head of policy and public affairs of Mencap said: “People who use social care aren’t patients – they are people who need support with daily living and accessing the community.

“The commitment to clear communication and information sharing is welcome, but systems need to be accessible or the health inequalities faced by people with a learning disability will become even worse. People are already struggling to navigate complicated booking systems, such as those for GP appointments.”

We can 'deliver meaningful change by addressing inequalities'

Paul Najsarek, Solace spokesperson for Health & Social Care, said: “This White Paper is a welcome step forward to improving health outcomes in communities across the country.

“The potential for local government to make a real, positive difference to the people and places we serve is immense, but it will only be by working together with health, voluntary and community sector partners, and playing to our respective strengths, that we will be able to deliver meaningful change by better treating and preventing illness, improving public health, and addressing inequalities.

“Local authority chief executives have a crucial and unique role to play both in bringing together disparate funding streams in place and galvanising not just their councils but key local stakeholders to contribute to this incredibly important agenda.”