The health and social care white paper explained
- Author:
- McKENNA Helen
- Publisher:
- King's Fund
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Place of publication:
- London
This long read describes the main proposals of the Government’s white paper ‘Integration and innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all’, which sets out legislative proposals for a health and care Bill. The white paper groups the proposals under the following themes: working together and supporting integration; stripping out needless bureaucracy; enhancing public confidence and accountability; and additional proposals to support public health, social care, and quality and safety. The proposals represent a marked shift away from the focus on competition that underpinned the coalition government’s 2012 reforms, towards a new model of collaboration, partnership and integration. At the same time, removing some of the competition and procurement rules could give the NHS and its partners greater flexibility to deliver joined-up care to the increasing number of people who rely on multiple services. At the heart of the changes set out in this section is the proposal to establish integrated care systems (ICSs) as statutory bodies in all parts of England. ICSs will be made up of two parts – an ‘ICS NHS body’ and an ‘ICS health and care partnership’. The dual structure is a new development and recognises the two forms of integration that are needed to adopt a population health approach aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of local populations: integration within the NHS (between different NHS organisations) and integration between the NHS and local government (and wider partners). (Edited publisher abstract)
- Subject terms:
- law, government policy, care reform, integrated care, governance, accountability, quality assurance;
- Location(s):
- England
- Link:
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