An Integrated Care System (ICS) is more than just a system of care. The ICSs in England are designed to promote regional autonomy, and there are 42 of them.
An autonomy that presents an opportunity for health and care providers to shape the future of integration.
We sat down with the honorary chairman of the Integrated Care Systems Association (ICSA) Dr Anand Chitnis to discuss how social care could make sure it has its voice heard when shaping the future of integration in England.
“We, as doctors, know that if you've got the social care right, you'd have far less health interventions and far less waiting lists,” Dr Chitnis said.
Social care has a huge opportunity to demonstrate its value on a national level. Community based care is already seen as an effective way to improve delayed hospital discharges.
An ICS is made up of smaller 'Place Committees' which in turn contain smaller ‘Locality’ or ‘Community Boards’. These boards are closer to the everyday provision of care. Though even at this more local level care providers would need to form partnerships or organise through existing associations to make their case.
“Whether it's a place committee or even at the ICS, No one wants to commission 100 organisations,” explained Dr Chitnis. “It’s too difficult. So I would advise forming a collaborative between providers and saying what you can provide as a partnership.”
In typical fashion, social care will have to find its own solutions to change the world. The right partnerships will enable us to change our world for the better by collaborating across care.
This is an excerpt; read the full interview on our website: www.care-planner.co.uk/blog/
