By Richard Johnstone | 4 September 2013
The government has been urged to undertake a review of its controversial NHS reforms in 2015 to ensure that local commissioners are having the intended impact on integrating health and social care in England.
In a report published yesterday, the Localis think-tank said the coalition’s changes, which abolished primary care trusts and replaced them with GP-led Clinical Commissioning Groups, took steps towards creating a ‘more localist’ health service.
The Health and Social Care Act also gave local authorities a responsibility to work alongside CCGs in Health and Wellbeing Boards, to join up health and social care funding and provision in their area.
Localis’ In Sickness and in Health report stated the transition to the new arrangements, which were introduced in April, had gone well so far. There is ‘widespread optimism’ within councils that the changes will lead to better care for residents, with 77 of 80 chief executives and leaders polled agreeing that they would.
However, the report called on ministers to review the impact of the reforms within the next two years to ensure the HWBs are having real influence over spending. If they are not, ministers should consider granting councils greater responsibility for health commissioning.
The report also said the government should consider making the public health minister a joint post, between the Department for Health and the Cabinet Office, to ensure the case for care integration is boosted across Whitehall.
The report was launched by care minister Norman Lamb, who said further integration was the ‘only game in town’.
He said: ‘We want the whole system to move fundamentally towards integrated care, shaping services around the individual and not the institution.’
He stressed that both the Clinical Commissioning Groups and Health and Wellbeing Boards were focused on local areas. There gives ‘a great opportunity’ for local government to become at the centre of care.
‘Locally driven and not imposed from the centre – this is potentially revolutionary in the way care is delivered.’
Launching the report, Localis chief executive Alex Thomson added: ‘Local government has a long and proud history of improving the health of the nation so these reforms represent a real homecoming.
‘It’s heartening that there is such a sense of optimism about the opportunity to once again help local people live longer, happier lives. Things are looking good so far, but only time will tell if additional powers are needed.’
