RCN welcomes health and social care integration plans

Published: 14 May 2013

The Royal College of Nursing has welcomed the announcement of plans to integrate health and social care by 2018 but called for clarity on community workforce planning and local funding.

“This is a step in the right direction,” said RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary Dr Peter Carter. “For social care to properly relieve some of the strain on acute services, a larger community workforce is required, and community nursing staff must play an important role. As care coordinators, nursing staff work at the interface of health and social care services, and play a key role in ensuring that patients do not notice where these start and end.”

In addition, the RCN is seeking reassurance that health service money is only spent on providing health and social care as local authority budgets are not currently ring-fenced. “We look forward to working with the Government and frontline staff to address these challenges to achieve greater integration and the best in patient care. If these plans reach fruition it really will help to give the public and patients the care and support they deserve,” concluded Dr Carter.