As part of its programme of work in 2012/13, the Bevan Commission has reviewed progress towards more integrated care in Wales. This is timely, as the health and social care system gears itself up to making progress in this vital area. This paper summarises the issues which have emerged, and offers advice to the Minister in relation to future progress in this important area:
Section A: What is ‘integrated care’?
Section B: Critical success factors for integrating care
Section C: Recommendations

The current situation relating to data and information is unacceptable and represents a major obstacle in driving the health system in Wales forward in line with strategic intent, finds a Bevan Commission event.

The Bhowmick Innovation Model (BIM) is a means of redeploying current resources to meet the increased healthcare needs caused by the demographic growth in the numbers of elderly citizens.

The Bevan Commission has considered the BIM as one way of meeting this need, and would recommend this model as the basis for a standard of care of the elderly. The Bevan Commission recognises that other strategies have been developed in Wales, and believes all strategies should be measured against the standards laid out in this paper, namely:

• The delivery of excellent, safe care in the community to a higher standard than in secondary care.
• The delivery of new services through redeploying existing resources, at a net zero cost to NHS Wales.
• Patients and staff being satisfied that the new way of working is better.

The BIM is based on the successful innovative and collaborative configuration of services in the community setting, in Torfaen Advanced Clinical Assessment Team (ACAT) and Mon Enhanced Care (MEC) in Anglesey. Together ACAT and MEC have successfully delivered personalised, patient-centred care at home while saving their respective health boards in excess of £2.5m.

More infoThe Minister for Health and Social Care has asked the Bevan Commission to consider how Wales makes the most effective use of available resources to ensure high quality and consistent care across Wales. It is evident that the status quo is unsustainable and change is essential. This paper sets out the key issues and actions needed to achieve the necessary performance and results required to improve the health of the population of Wales