Integration has been the buzzword for health and social care for some time now. Often held up as the holy grail for improving efficiencies and outcomes, it is no wonder health and care systems have been frantically realigning services and forming partnerships to break down barriers.

However, debates rage on as to whether or not integration will actually relieve pressures on budgets or produce savings. Evidencing the benefits of integration has proved difficult among the sector, and there are doubts as to whether it could live up to expectations.