The NHS and adult care should get on and ‘share culture and values' rather than wait to formally integrate their organisations according to a joint report from health and care chiefs.

In an admittance that merging structures is proving too difficult to progress the NHS Confederation and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (DASS)  both now say that ‘integration should be thought about more in terms of cultures, behaviours and values rather than formal structural integration of organisations.'

NHS Confederation deputy policy Jo Webber said:' There is wide consensus that integrating care is a good for patients and offers more efficient care. But people have been talking about this for a long time.  Making this happen on any kind of significant scale across the system has proven more elusive than garnering positive statement of principle.

‘This joint statement is an important part of the process to make integrated health and social care services the norm rather than the preserve of a group of unusually determined pioneers who were prepared to take risks and swim against the tide.

ADASS president Peter Hay from Birmingham City Council said: ‘We need to create the right environments in which local leaders are empowered to take risks, stick to their guns and improve care for patients.'

‘As we approach the formulation of the social care White Paper and the response to Dilnot we are moving into a critical phase in the development of integrated work with our health service colleagues. The statement we publish marks a significant step forward in both our organisations' thinking on the subject, and I commend it to all our health and social care managers up and down the country. It will prove to be an important weather vane as we navigate some of the challenging territory we are about to enter.

‘The time for talking about integration is over. This second joint publication shows our commitment as associations to finding ways through the many barriers that can prevent the integrated experience of services that the public should expect.'

Included in the statement are a number of ‘top tips' for leaders to support integrated working which includes making time to work with staff and identify the key barriers to change, developing multi-disciplinary teams and fully developing systems to engage with patients.

 
Click here for report : integrated care - making it happen