Demand for health and social care services is rising, and funding is not keeping pace.
Local authorities and health bodies need to find ways to manage and meet demand more effectively. Integration of health and social care services at the local level is one of a range of strategies local bodies are taking forward to save money and improve the care experience and outcomes of patients and users.
Government wants full integration across England by 2020.
National Audit Office report
The National Audit Office are currently conducting a study which will examine the progress of the range of integration initiatives that currently exist, including examining the progress of the Better Care Fund over its first year of implementation.
It will highlight where and how integration of health and social care is working in some localities, what the Department of Health and its partners are doing to support local integration and to conclude on whether Government is effectively laying the groundwork for full integration by 2020.