Elderly health care in Bradford set to be simplified (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Services pledge to work together to stop older patients being ‘passed like parcels’

11:00am Friday 10th February 2012 in News By Claire Lomax

by Claire Lomax Health Reporter Moves to integrate health and social care in the Bradford district will see elderly patients given the right services, in the right place, in a much more co-ordinated way, health and social care bosses have pledged.

The new way of working will be tested this year in areas currently being identified, before being introduced across the district, and will provide patients with a single point of access for services.

It comes at a time when MPs from the health select committee are recommending that elderly care, health and housing services be joined up to stop patients being ‘passed like a parcel’ from one department to another.

In response to the recommendation, Cath Doman, head of community health services at NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds, said: “All the partners that provide health and social care services in Bradford and Airedale have signed up to a vision for integrating services – so we can provide the right services at the right time and in the right place in a much more co-ordinated way.

“We already have a really good example of integrated care in Airedale (the Airedale Community Collaborative Team) and this is being expanded further.

“We are also in the process of identifying localities linked to groups of GP practices to test out integrated community teams made up of community health services, social care services and voluntary and community services, so all the community health and social care services will be organised by one team, with one manager.

“There will be one assessment and one care plan, with someone co-ordinating the care provided. This means that people won’t be passed from team to team if their needs change.

“We think the outcomes of this work will be more people supported to live as independently as possible at home and fewer people going into hospital or long-term residential care, unless they really need to.”

Janice Simpson, Bradford Council’s assistant director of adult and community services – operations, said: “There has been an integrated commissioning group for more than four years, which identifies the needs of the district and plans services for adults with health and social care needs.

“The newly-established shadow health and well-being board brings together elected members, officers from health, the Council, voluntary sector and GP Commissioners and LINks to ensure that the health and social care needs of the district are understood and documented and a joint health and well-being strategy is produced and acted upon.”