Integration of care

My brief experience as a GP clinical commissioner, tells me that we have no choice but to develop closer integration across primary care, secondary care, and social care.¹ The dichotomy between primary care and secondary care has become unhealthy, and most consultants I come across are only too happy to work at joined-up solutions; the nonsensical attempts to push care costs between cash-strapped primary care commissioners and even more cash-strapped councils has to be changed if we still want to have our bins emptied, as well as care for frail older people.

The challenge for GP partners, as the power brokers in this, is to take action and make their practices ready now for integrated care; waiting for the next contract to sort it out will not make us fit for purpose quickly enough.