Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to integrate health and social care with local authorities.

The Better Care Fund (BCF), implemented from the beginning of 2015-16, is the first national, mandatory integration policy. Its overarching aims are to keep people living independently at home and prevent them from needing more support.

In 2015-16, it was a minimum £3.8 billion nationally and local areas pooled an additional £1.5 billion, taking the total to £5.3 billion. In 2016-17, it will be increased to a mandated minimum of £3.9 billion and early analysis of BCF plans indicates that local areas have once again pooled over and above the minimum, taking the total to approaching £6 billion.

The BCF has set the foundation, but we want to go further, faster, to deliver joined up care. The ways local areas integrate will be different, and some parts of the country are already demonstrating different approaches, which reflect models the government supports.

It is hoped that devolution can act as an enabler of integration in health and social care. Where areas are excelling in their integration work, devolution has the potential to act as a next step for further opportunities, including greater integration between health and other public services.

We are currently designing the criteria and assurance process for the best-performing integration areas to graduate from the BCF. The Integration and Better Care Fund Policy Framework for 2017-19, due to be published later this month, will set out the requirements for BCF plans and further detail on the graduation process.