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Responding to Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb’s announcement on joined up health and social care, Chris Ham, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, said:

‘As the Secretary of State for Health said recently, delivering integrated care is the central challenge that defines modern health care. To meet the needs of an ageing population and transform services for the growing number of people with long term conditions, it is essential that co-ordinating care and support becomes the core business of everyone working in the NHS and social care. So today’s announcement is an important statement of intent from the government and the organisations signed up to the shared commitment on integrated care and support.
 
‘The announcement signals a step change by beginning the process of identifying pioneer areas to lead the way in providing integrated care at scale and pace. Feedback from our work with local health and social care leaders indicates that some aspects of current policy and regulation are acting as barriers to delivering co-ordinated care. This should be addressed by giving pioneer areas freedoms and flexibilities to overcome these restrictions when they are rolled out from September.’

Notes to editors: 

For further information or to request an interview, please contact the Press and Public Affairs team on 020 7307 2585 (if calling out of hours, please ring 07584 146 035).

The King’s Fund is a charity that seeks to understand how the health system in England can be improved. Using that insight, we help shape policy, transform services and bring about behaviour change. Our work includes research, analysis, leadership development and service improvement. We also offer a wide range of resources to help everyone working in health to share knowledge, learning and ideas.

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