A report published by the NHS Confederation's PCT Network says greater joint working across health and public services should be locally driven but needs stronger national support to bring about real change to patient care.

The paper, 'Putting Our Heads Together: what makes senior joint posts work?' contains feedback from interviews with senior leaders whose posts cut across a number of health and local authority services. It outlines the strategic benefits joint posts can bring, especially given the financial challenges public services face in the years ahead.

There is consensus amongst those interviewed that the responsibility for joining up health with other public services is primarily a local one, and that the best solutions come from the bottom up. Yet they also believe there is a role for central government and the Department of Health (DH) to encourage local leaders to improve the coordination of services in their own area. Feedback provided suggests that the DH is not always a 'credible advocate' for joined-up working and can sometimes issue policies which are 'contradictory'.

'Putting Our Heads Together' highlights the importance joint posts play in maintaining the focus on improved public health for local populations and explains that a long-term commitment is required if change to organisational culture and form is to bring visible improvements to services.

David Stout, director of the PCT Network, said conversations with local leaders showed a great enthusiasm to go further to integrate services but that more encouragement would help drive change.

He said: "The feedback we received shows that while there is enthusiasm for more joined up services, many local leaders are of the opinion that there needs to be a central rethink about how integrated care is promoted.

"Nationally-led reorganisations over the past decade have often created instability and undermined local solutions. This report tells us that local leaders do not want joint posts simply for the sake of it, but want to coordinate their services in a way that focuses on bringing about real improvements for their local populations.

The discussion paper asks NHS leaders to look again at more innovative ways of working more effectively with local partners. Joint leadership models are one option, but the paper says there is scope for a much greater improvement if leaders focus on the needs of local populations and design their own systems around that knowledge . Driving this improvement will require a greater show of confidence from government.

The Confederation's report interviewed a number of senior leaders working in joint posts across health and local public services, from those in charge of managing all health and local authority services to those leading on social care from within a PCT. The group represent some of the most valuable expertise available in managing integrated services.

Notes

The PCT Network represents the majority of primary care trusts in England. It was established in December 2006 to provide a distinct voice for PCTs. The Network is part of the NHS Confederation.

Source
NHS Confederation