Here in the Isle of Wight we have been looking at how we can bring together our social care, health and voluntary organisations for the people that live here.
A couple of years ago we began by speaking to groups of islanders about what they’d like to see if we brought the services closer together. We had a good response and that helped us set up something called My Life A Full Life – an umbrella name for the project.
I’m Chad Oatley and I was brought in to research and evaluate how well any new integrated system could work. I have been working to look at what people here want, how staff from different organisations might feel about integrating their work, working out if it’s more effective, and of course how much it all costs. The results have been good and now we have been chosen to be a so called Vanguard site.
What does that mean?
Well it means we can go ahead and start to draw together all of the health and care services on the Island to work around Islanders needs.
So far we have brought introduced three integrated locality working teams which involves GPs, nurses and social care staff. The theory being that we can help people closer to their homes, and meet all their health needs in one multi-skilled, coordinated and seamless way to enhance the quality and effectiveness of health care and ultimately save some money to invest in other services.
The new ways of integrated working through the crisis response service within the integrated care hub has saved more than a million pounds in its first year.
Where next?
Well the Island has been given the status from NHS England of being one of the first 29 Vanguard sites across the country, and will look at delivering a PACS model. This means the funding to look at how our health systems can work more closely together to benefit the Islands patients – it will mean our GP, Hospital, community, and mental health services effectively join up and link with adult and children’s social care and the voluntary and independent sector.
It’s an exciting time for the Island’s community and we are creating something really new and ground breaking. Why not join the journey, get involved and learn more – Find out more
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