Joined up thinking

The need to integrate adult social care and health care is made from an economic viewpoint by the Audit Commission in a briefing and accompanying benchmarking tool. A systematic review of integrated working between health services and care homes finds a rather limited field of evidence, with integration happening mostly at patient level and very much health service led. Trafford PCT's faltering efforts to develop integrated care are analysed in a report from the Nuffield Trust. A batch of articles from the journal of integrated care examine inclusion of people with sight loss, a pilot in Norfolk addressing teenage pregnancy rates and the various models of integration used in Devon. RCGP offers guidance on commissioning integrated urgent and emergency care.