Ministers have written to council chiefs pledging pooled Better Care Fund (BCF) budgets will form ‘an enduring part of the health and social care system' after 2015/16.

A joint letter co-signed by minister for care and support, Norman Lamb, and local government minister, Brandon Lewis, encourages local authorities finalising their Better Care plans ahead of the 4 April deadline to ‘be as ambitious' as possible.

Addressed to local authority leaders, the chairs of health and wellbeing boards and directors of adult social services, the ministers urge authorities to ‘stress the importance of sustained involvement and engagement of the leadership for the acute sector and primary care'.

‘Therefore your plans should reflect a level of ambition and service transformation that delivers long-term sustainability and effective coordination of services,' the letter stated.

‘In making plans you should expect that pooled funding will be an enduring part of the health and social care system after 2015/16.  This is absolutely not a one-year initiative,' the letter continued.

The ministers also said they were working with NHS England to explore the wish of many local authorities to go further in integrating primary care in their care plans.