Integration ahead

DH's recent evaluation of  the integrated care pilots has been found wanting in several quarters.  GP magazine put in a Freedom of Information Act request for clarity on DH's claim that this telecare route will offer £1.2 bn savings, but was turned down.  A lesss investigative approach from Nick Goodwin of the King's Fund echoes the less than enthusiastic response: "It is fair to say that the collective results of these pilots have been mixed."  He also observes that these pilots suffered from a common problem with integrated care, where the process of integration gets priority over the experience of care.  Another significant finding from the report was that emergency admissions increased over the period studied, while outpatient and elective admissions decreased.  The King's Fund is itself currently looking for case sites in its study of co-ordinated care for people with complex chronic illnesses.