• The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published Beyond Barriers following the review of 20 local authority areas and the way that older people move between health and adult social care services.
• The report sets out recommendations for change after the reviews found too much ineffective co-ordination of health and care services leading to fragmented care.
• The CQC calls for the development of an agreed joint plan supported by long term funding reform to support system working. It also calls for the development of joint workforce plans.

Responding to Beyond Barriers by the CQC, the head of policy at NHS Providers, Amber Jabbal, said:

“We welcome that the CQC has highlighted the importance of joined-up health and care services designed around the needs of local people.   

“This report is an important starting point in the discussion about how we define the quality of care in local systems. However there remains much to do to incentivise and remove barriers to system working and we need a clearer national strategy to support the move to integrated care.

There remains much to do to incentivise and remove barriers to system working and we need a clearer national strategy to support the move to integrated care.

Amber Jabbal    

“This includes supporting local areas to flex the funding model and workforce planning to allow for the demands of the local area.  Health and care systems also need support to plan strategically with a shared vision and shared accountability.

“We welcome the steps CQC has taken to adapt its approach in line with the changes that health and care systems are making towards delivering more integrated care. It is crucial that the national bodies work together to align their approaches to supporting and overseeing local systems in order to avoid any unnecessary duplication and burden on health and care providers.

“This report shows that whilst some systems are performing very well others will require further support.  Any oversight approach for systems must take this into account so that local organisations are not held to account for things outside of their control.”