Greater Manchester and NHS England have today (Friday 27 February) announced ground-breaking plans around the future of health and social care with a signed memorandum agreeing to bring together health and social care budgets – a combined sum of £6bn.
NHS England, 12 NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, 15 NHS providers and 10 local authorities of Greater Manchester have agreed a framework for health and social care – with plans for joint decision-making on integrated care to support physical, mental and social wellbeing. The Chancellor has placed his Northern Powerhouse strategy at the heart of the nation’s growth plans and this has created the platform for today’s announcement.
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (left) said:
“Today’s agreement with the council leaders of Greater Manchester and NHS England is a major step forward in our plans to build a Northern Powerhouse. When I signed the deal with local councils here to devolve more power to Greater Manchester and to create a new elected mayor, I always hoped that a bigger say over healthcare would be part of the package. Things have happened even more swiftly than we had all hoped at the time, and now we have a landmark agreement to bring the local NHS and social care much more closely together.
“I am excited about all this because not only does it mean the people of Greater Manchester having more control over the decisions that affect their lives; I believe it will also lead to better, much more joined up health care. For example, it should mean more people leaving hospital sooner, and others avoiding having to go to hospital altogether. This is just the start of the journey.”
The Memorandum of Understanding, approved and countersigned by the Chancellor and the Health Secretary, puts local people in the driving seat for deciding on health and care services that suit Greater Manchester. It will also help in the long-term to ease pressure on hospitals – while focusing on services in community that bring health and social care closer to home.
Integrated care in Greater Manchester will focus more on preventative work in the community – putting strategies in place to keep people well and as independent as possible. For example, people with long-term conditions like asthma or heart conditions will be treated by specialists in the community as much as possible – only going to hospital when necessary.
NHS England has agreed all plans with the Greater Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), NHS providers and local councils to cement a place-based approach to join up health and social care. This approach helps to realise the vision set out in the NHS’s Five Year Forward View.
Read more at http://www.agma.gov.uk/gmca/gmca-devolution-agreement1/caring-for-gm-together/index