Social Care: Integrated Care Systems

Baroness Wheeler Excerpts

Wednesday 11th January 2023 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Wheeler]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that social care is sufficiently represented within Integrated Care Systems.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care (Lord Markham) (Con)]

ICSs need to include social care fully in planning and strategic decision-making. Local authorities are responsible for social care and have a clearly defined role within ICSs. The Health and Care Act 2022 includes local authorities in its minimum membership requirements for ICBs, giving local government a greater voice in NHS decision-making than ever before. In July 2022, we also published guidance on how ICPs and adult social care providers should work together.

[Baroness Wheeler (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for his response but ICBs and ICSs have been fully operational only since last July—less than six months. The Minister is quite right that, when they were being set up, we argued strongly for the need for effective social care representation in both bodies to ensure that health and social care are integrated and fully embedded in both. However, this just is not happening. The ADASS spring survey found 73% of directors reporting that ICS management has had little impact on local investment in adult social care to date; some even said that ICSs were reducing investment. How does this help ICSs play a key role in their respective areas in, for example, tackling the staffing crisis in both services, prioritising adult social care and producing the urgently needed ICP integrated care strategies, which are due in June?

[Lord Markham (Con)]

First, I think we can all agree on the necessity of making sure that these are integrated and the vital role that social care plays in all this. I must say, my experience from the places I have visited is that they are well integrated, but I will take that point back and would be pleased to look at any particular examples of where we feel that is not the case because, as I think the whole House will agree, it is vital that they are completely integrated.