The Hewitt Review found that integrated care systems (ICSs) have the potential to transform the way health and social care is delivered in England, but that they need more support and flexibility to succeed.
“We welcome the overall direction and findings of the Hewitt Review,” said Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive of VODG. “The review has found that ICSs have the potential to make a real difference to the lives of disabled people, and their support services, but much more needs to be done to harness relationships with third sector providers.
System reviews can sometimes overlook the importance of the putting people and their families at the centre of design and implementation decisions. We are particularly pleased that the review has highlighted the need for ICSs to put disabled people at the heart of their decision-making and to ensure that their services are accessible and inclusive.”
The Hewitt Review found that ICSs are already making progress in some areas, such as reducing hospital admissions and improving satisfaction. However, it also found that they are facing a number of challenges, such as a lack of funding, a shortage of staff, and a lack of data. These challenges are hugely significant in social care, and this review provides an essential call to action to address this.
The review makes a number of recommendations to address these challenges, including:
- Giving ICSs more control over their budgets
- Providing more training for staff
- Improving the collection and use of data
- Strengthening the role of local government
“We wholeheartedly agree with the Hewitt Review that ICSs need more control over their budgets,” said Rhidian Hughes. “This is essential if they are to be able to make the changes that are needed to improve the health and care of disabled people. We also agree that ICSs need to provide more training for staff so that they are better able to support disabled people. And we agree that ICSs need to improve the collection and use of data so that they can better understand the needs of disabled people and make sure that their local services are meeting those needs.”
VODG is committed to working with ICSs to ensure that they are successful in delivering better health and care for people with disabilities. Hughes added, “We are committed to working with ICSs to ensure that they successfully deliver better health and care for disabled people. We believe that ICSs have the potential to make a real difference to the lives of disabled people, and we are determined to help them achieve that potential.”