The National Audit Office (NAO) is not known for pulling its punches when it comes to criticising central government and to an extent when reading its reports one factors in the NAO's tendency to find fault.

Yet even taking this into account their recent report on the progress of integrating health and social care makes alarming reading. The Government's mantra is full integration will be achieved by 2020. Meg Hillier, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, dismisses this as ‘a pipedream.' The NAO is more circumspect, saying the goal is ‘at significant risk.'