In the past decade there has been increasing talk of integration and integrated service delivery for health and social care in UK and many other countries. Therefore, in our next @SWSCmedia debate on Tuesday (17 January) at 20:00 GMT / 15:00 EST, we’ll try to explore some relevant questions in relation to the prospects, possibilities, challenge and realities of health and social care integration?
Although increasing integration of health and social care or at least their service delivery channels and mechanisms seem an obvious strategy and almost inevitable, such integration has proven to be notoriously difficult.
Indeed, there are numerous questions and vast challenges that must be addressed if integration of health and social services is to have any chance of improving the status quo. Some of these questions include:
1. What does an integrated service or integrated service delivery mean?
2. Is there any difference between an integrated service and integrated service delivery?
3. What are the pros and cons of an integrated service delivery model?
4. What are some of the possible approaches to integration of services between health and social care?
5. What are the concrete prospects and possibilities of integration between health and social services?
6. In case of any such integration, how can the differences in organisational culture and methodologies be reconciled?
7. Health and social care both involve huge hierarchical, and many would say rigid, organisations. Would any possible integration of the two services and/or organisations bring about even a greater behemoth that is further distanced from the user of services?
8. What are some of the practical approaches to an improved and more integrated service?
On Tuesday, 17 January, we will try to address some of these and other important questions.
Here are some of our views in relation to integration of health and social care in UK.
We look forward to seeing you in our weekly Twitter Debate @SWSCmedia, every Tuesday at 20:00 GMT / 15:00 EST.
If you’re new to the debate, please read this page for a guide on how to join and participate in our debates.
