NHS and councils urged to move on health and social care integration

NHS and council bosses are being urged to increase the “pace and effectiveness” of work to integrate health and social care.

A new report said while the organisations set up to bring together these services operate in an “extremely challenging environment,” there is still “much more to be done”.

A review of progress in bringing together services was carried out by senior figures from the NHS and local government. They, included NHS Scotland chief executive Paul Gray and Sally Loudon, the chief executive of the council umbrella group Cosla.

Integrating health and social care services is being taken forward in a bid to provide better, more seamless care and to ensure people can access the help and support they need.

But the review said the relationships and collaborative working must improve in the next 12 months – adding this also applied to relationships between the NHS, councils, charities and independent providers.

It also said integrated joint boards (IJBs) – which bring together NHS boards, councils and others – needed to “use the totality of resources at their disposal to better meet the needs of their local populations”.

Spending should be more focused on outcomes and “not which public body put in which pound to the pot”, the review added.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Truly integrated services, focused on the needs of citizens, require our leadership and personal commitment. I am pleased the Scottish Government and Cosla are working to ensure the success of integration.”