How the NHS is joining up health and care

NHS England has published a new briefing in plain English, ‘Breaking down barriers to better health and care’. It sets out why the NHS is joining up services and working more collaboratively through Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships and Integrated Care Systems.

This briefing builds on recent written evidence from NHS England and NHS Improvement to the Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry on integrated care. The committee’s report included a recommendation to improve communication on integration.

To help people to better understand the proposals to join up health and care, NHS England has also recently produced:

  • An infographic setting out why services need to change
  • Web pages exploring the first Integrated Care Systems in detail
  • A series of videos showing how partnership and integration are making a difference, which include:
    • joining up care and support for older people in Dorset
    • preventing unnecessary hospital admissions by offering better support in Lancashire care homes
    • helping people inSouth London to live independently, in partnership with the local Age UK
    • local councils and GPs working together in Sussex to combat isolation and reduce health risks
    • saving lives by transforming services for people in Greater Manchester who have had a stroke

If you would like to stay up to date on integrated care work, visit www.england.nhs.uk/integratedcare and subscribe to the NHS’s fortnightly bulletin sharing news, views and good local practice related to integrated care.