Narrative for person-centred, coordinated care

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have a duty to promote and encourage integration of care.

A recurring theme, highlighted by NHS Future Forum, has been the need for a compelling narrative for integrated care so that the public and the professionals share a common and meaningful understanding of it. The importance of this has been captured in the new NHS Constitution, which is currently out for consultation.

The Mandate for the Board includes an objective to drive better integration of care, which is centred around the whole person, coordinated around the needs of patients, families and carers and  feels more joined up to the individual, including at transitions.

The Board has commissioned National Voices, the national coalition of health and social care charities and its members, to develop a narrative for integrated care from the perspective of the patient and service user. It has been done in partnership with the Local Government Association, supported by the Department of Health and Monitor.

The purpose of the narrative is to help ensure a shared understanding of what good person-centred, co-ordinated integrated care looks like for an individual, using language that everyone can identify with.

National Voices, the Board and key partners are now sharing the draft narrative, giving you the opportunity to review it and think how it might inform your own work locally. National Voices welcome your feedback to help them further develop the draft Narrative to support the work of all health and care professionals in delivering person-centred, co-ordinated care.

For further information, including to read the narrative and discover how you can respond to it by the deadline of 28 February, visit www.commissioningboard.nhs.uk/2012/12/11/narrative-integrated-care, www.engage.commissioningboard.nhs.uk/consultation/narrative-pccc or www.nationalvoices.org.uk/defining-integrated-care-%E2%80%93-feedback-requested.