Integrated health and social care 2020: research

Published March 2017

Research to inform the Integration Standard and the next phase of the government’s plans to integrate health and social care

The government wants to see the integration of health and social care, in every area of England, by 2020. The Department of Health’s initial thinking included the concept of an Integration Standard with associated metrics that enable qualitative and quantitative data to measure the performance of each area, giving a clear picture of progress toward integration.

This report presents the findings from a programme of scoping research and engagement to:

• better understand what excellent integrated health and social care should look like in 2020
• test out the Integration Standard with national stakeholders and local areas
• provide feedback and support for further development of the standard.

SCIE undertook the research on behalf of the Department of Health, involving national stakeholders, local areas and people who use health and care services.

The research will inform the government’s plans for the further integration of health of social care, including the next phase of the Better Care Fund.

Integration Standard – key feedback

This study confirms full support for the ambition of integration by 2020 because bringing together health and social care is universally seen as the right thing to do.

A national standard therefore might fulfil several essential functions:

• helping to keep people’s eyes on the ball: continuing to focus local hearts and minds around integration
• adding impetus and urgency: contributing momentum towards local service transformation
• creating a framework for action: providing the Department of Health, Department for Communities and Local Government, NHS England and local areas with a means of measuring and monitoring progress towards integration.

• Integration Standard (draft)

  

  The Department of Health’s initial Integration Standard including seven objectives, and service user ‘I’ statements.

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• Feedback on the Integration Standard

  

  Summary of feedback on the draft Integration Standard.

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• Framework for action

  

  National, local and frontline actions and challenges to support developing the Integration Standard.

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