Joint working can improve services
Author: Stephen Greenhalgh, LGC - Nov 5, 2009
The main problem with the current system is that community services do not touch most of the elderly until they see a GP or are admitted to hospital with a serious illness.
There are 17,500 elderly people in Hammersmith & Fulham but not many use the services commissioned by the council or the PCT.
This has to change, and local government could play a role that would save Whitehall a considerable amount of money.
* First, we need to ensure that the public money for the elderly is put into one pot.
* Second, community services need to reflect what the elderly actually want, rather than what the state thinks they might want.
* Finally, we need to integrate the delivery of care. This will provide the real savings – and local government holds the key.
Hammersmith & Fulham LBC is joined at the hip now with its PCT.
We are in a position for the first time to integrate the PCT’s £150m continuing care budget and other local health services with the council’s £72m community care budget.
The borough’s government grant is going down from £14m to £11m. If we can cut the duplication and focus the delivery the savings should be considerable.
All in all, real savings and improvement in services will only be delivered by taking a local integrated approach to care delivery.
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