Health devolution must include social care under same umbrella - The Yorkshire Post says

A new report from the Health Devolution Commission has recommended, at a local level, what this newspaper has called for consistently – a joined-up approach to the NHS and social care system.
By YP Comment
Published 14th Aug 2020, 11:45 BST
A new report has suggested health and social care should be integrated at a local level. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA WireA new report has suggested health and social care should be integrated at a local level. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
A new report has suggested health and social care should be integrated at a local level. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

It says local social care and public health services such as physical, mental and acute care in the NHS should be integrated and delivered under a single budget, calling for plans for health devolution across England to be developed within the next year.

This newspaper has long been pressing for a unified strategic approach, with both social care and acute and clinical healthcare managed under the same umbrella. Indeed, if they were conjoined, there would not likely have been a situation where the clinical part of the healthcare system was discharging Covid-19 patients into social care services or where Nightingale Hospitals were set up to provide extra beds for patients with coronavirus symptoms in response to the pandemic whilst no such parallel was put in place to support care homes.

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Norman Lamb said the case for the reform of the social care system was 'overwhelming'. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA WireNorman Lamb said the case for the reform of the social care system was 'overwhelming'. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Norman Lamb said the case for the reform of the social care system was 'overwhelming'. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

The virus has shown up woeful inadequacies in the nation’s social care system whilst highlighting how brilliant healthcare provision can be under unprecedented circumstances. As Sir Norman Lamb, former Liberal Democrat health minister and current commission co-chairman, says: “The case for reform of social care is now overwhelming.”

The commission claims the recommended model would deliver “parity of esteem and integration between the NHS, social care and public health”. It is to be hoped the Government take note - for such an approach has been a long-time coming.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

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Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor

Related topics:Yorkshire PostNHSGovernmentYorkshireEngland