Health and social care integration in Scotland is an ongoing process of change to how the NHS and local council care services co-operate in providing services to the Scottish population.

Legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament came into force this year. One effect of this legislation was to create partnerships between the NHS and local Councils across the country. These partnerships plan integrated health and social care delivery for their areas, and decide how public money is best spent to deliver better integrated services.

The integration of health and social care will have an impact on how health and social care services are planned and funded across Edinburgh and the Lothian region. Community health initiatives and third sector partners with a role in reducing health inequalities in local communities will also be involved in how health and social care integration is delivered in the area.

Below are a few immediate questions and answers about health and social care integration. As integration gets under way, these answers may change, but this post tries to give a broad and accurate picture as of April 2016.

What happened on 1^st April 2016?

• The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 came into force
• For the Lothian region, this meant that a body known as the Integrated Joint Board assumed responsibility for health and social care planning

What is the Integrated Joint Board?

• The Integrated Joint Board or IJB assumed control of an integrated budget for community health and social care spending
• The budget extends to funding for GP practices and some acute services
• For more information about the IJB, see the website: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/transformedinburgh/site/index.php

What is the structure of the Integrated Joint Board?

• The IJB is composed of 10 voting members (5 from Council, 5 from NHS)
• Current members are listed at: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory_record/626746/edinburgh_integrated_joint_board_health_and_social_care_partnership
• 15 non-voting members sit on the Board, are appointed by the IJB and must include, for example, Chief Social Work Officer, Chief Officer of the IJB etc etc

What does the Integrated Joint Board do?

• Spends a health and social care budget of approx. £575m for 2016/17
• Money for this budget is pooled from Council, NHS and Social Care Fund contributions
• The IJB has responsibilitiers for its own finances, communications, capital spending on technology, tracking risks, auditing performance etc
• The IJB strategically plans integrated health and social care services which are than managed and delivered by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership
• IJB is part of the Edinburgh Community Planning Partnership – this develops the Community Plan for Edinburgh of which health and social care is a part

Who is responsible for tackling health inequalities in Edinburgh?

• Third sector organisation receiving Health Inequalities Grants for 2016/17 will report to the IJB
• Health inequalities spending for 2017/18 is now thought to be part of the IJB remit
• The IJB’s strategic approach to tackling health inequalities in the Lothian region, as stated in the Draft Strategic Plan, include:
  • Work with Community Planning Partnership to tackle inequalities
  • Strategic approach to tackling health inequalities
  • Encourage tack up of social prescribing
  • Support for initiatives to tackle health inequalities
  • Partnership working to tackle inequalities
  • Support for people with protected characteristics

What is the Strategic Plan?

• The IJB has created a strategic plan outlining what the priorities for integrating health and social care in Edinburgh will be
• Available online, draft version at: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/50066/item_56_-_final_draft_of_the_strategic_plan_for_health_and_social_care_integration_joint_board
• Four Health and Social Care Locality Managers are to establish local working arrangements in four parts of Edinburgh:
  • Angela Lindsay, Health and Social Care Locality Manager – North East
  • David White, Health and Social Care Locality Manager – South West
  • Marna Green, Health and Social Care Locality Manager – North West
  • Nikki Conway, Health and Social Care Locality Manager – South East
• Integrated teams in the localities are to be led by these Locality Managers
• Four locality hubs will be created across the city
• Eight Clusters built around GP practices are intended to focus on prevention and early intervention

Where is the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment?

• This is still to be finalised and made publically available

Who else sits with / works with the Integrated Joint Board?

• Chief Finance Officer
• Chief Officer
• Chair
• Strategic Planning Group
• Audit and Risk Committee
• ‘Interface Group’ (IJB + NHS + Council, informal)
• Performance sub-group

What will change for Community Health Initiatives?

• It is understood that Community Health Initiatives will probably be expected to report on 2016/17 grant awards to the IJB, through mechanisms that are still to be confirmed
• Future funding for health inequalities work across the city may be made available through the IJB

How do we talk to the IJB?

• The IJB is piloting deputations, through a procedure still to be confirmed
• You can email healthsocialcareintegration@edinburgh.gov.uk
• Communications are presently managed by Ann Duff, Senior Communications Officer for the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership; you can email her at ann.duff@edinburgh.gov.uk