Health and social care integration plans at ‘significant risk’, says NAO

The process of integrating the health and social care sectors could take years to lead to positive results and has not eased pressures so far, according to the National Audit Office.

Launching a new report, Health and Social Care Integration, Sir Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office (NAO), said: "Integrating the health and social care sectors is a significant challenge in normal times, let alone times when both sectors are under such severe pressure. So far, benefits have fallen far short of plans, despite much effort.”

The Better Care Fund received £5.3bn in 2015/16 but has not achieved the gains in value for money which were expected in terms of savings, outcomes for patients and reduced hospital activity. The report highlights numerous issues including:

•    The Fund’s failure to meet its principal financial and service targets in 2015/16
•    An inability to drive down emergency admissions to the levels planned. In fact, these increased by 87,000.
•    A failure to achieve the target which had been set on savings of £511m.
•    The number of days lost to delayed transfers of care went up (by 185,000) when it was supposed to go down (by 293,000).

Margaret Willcox, President Elect of ADASS (the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services), said: “This report is not surprising given that integration plans are obviously severely hampered by current acute pressures in social care and the NHS. Integration is not the answer to improving social care, but should be seen as the means to an end to transform services to provide better co-ordinated care for people who need it. The risk of integration is that it focuses on structure whereas the focus should be on the potential to improve outcomes.”

Paul Dossett, head of local government at Grant Thornton UK LLP. said: “It is clear that the social and health care systems are in financial crisis and struggling to meet demand. If the Prime Minister is serious about making social care fit for purpose, her government needs to take a broader, more comprehensive look at the care industry. We need to re-think how the services are structured and ensure more significant investment in the right places.”