First steps towards transforming York’s health and social care
Plans to transform health and social care in York will take a step forward this week when health and care chiefs submit the first draft of the Better Care Fund Plan to the government.
The Better Care Fund (formerly the Integration Transformation Fund) is a single pooled budget to support health and social care services to work more closely together at a local level and was launched by the Government in June 2013.
York Health and Wellbeing Board, City of York Council and NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will submit their initial proposals on how they will allocate the Better Care Fund money to the government on Friday.
York’s draft plan proposes a transformation of the local health and social care system, focusing on three main elements:
- The development of local care hubs of health and social care staff who will rapidly assess and diagnose issues and needs to enable people to remain at home or return there at the earliest opportunity.
- Shared Care Records, so people only have to provide their details and case history once.
- Single Point of Contact– a health or social care lead who takes responsibility for the individual as the move between services.
The vision is to create a health and social care system with residents at the centre, and with support that is joined up around them. It’s hoped the proposals will see a more responsive service, with increased cross-organisational working, a more innovative use of pooled budgets and increased partnership working, leading to improved outcomes for residents and more cost effective services.
Councillor Tracey Simpson Laing, Cabinet Member for Health, Housing and Adult Social Services and Chair of York Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “The submission of the draft Better Care Fund Plan is a significant step for York because it signifies our commitment to create a customer-focused, seamless service for health and social care in the city. I’d like to thank all those involved in bringing the Plan – and the vision behind it – together and I am looking forward to working with colleagues and residents to make the proposals a reality for York.”
Dr Mark Hayes, the CCG’s Chief Clinical Officer said: “The Better Care Fund will help the CCG to create integrated health and social care services that are reliable and within easy reach, regardless of where people live.
“Staying true to its promise to engage and involve the Vale of York community, the CCG hopes that patients, carers and the public will become a partner in designing innovative health and social care services.
“The CCG’s vision; to achieve the best of health and wellbeing for everyone is at the heart of this transformation which will deliver improved outcomes for the local community whilst providing services in new and innovative ways.”
Final detailed plans will be submitted to NHS England in April. If approved, York’s plans will be tested throughout 2014/15, with delivery starting in 2015/16.
