The Better Care Fund is a single pooled budget to support health and social care services to work more closely together in local areas. The government is changing the way that some existing NHS monies are allocated, to transform integrated services and systems. The aim is to avoid acute hospital care by using community based NHS and social care services. Following a draft plan that had to be submitted by February, the final proposals must be agreed by the local authority and the NHS through the Wellbeing for Life Board, and a bid submitted by April. The Better Care Fund in Newcastle is £21.8 million.
There are national conditions for success, such as seven day working in health and social care, better information sharing between the NHS and social care, and a joint approach to assessments and care planning with a single professional for integrated packages. There are national measures, such as admission to residential and care homes, the effectiveness of re-ablement, avoidable emergency admissions, and the patient /service use perspective. Locally, dementia is proposed to be a measure.
The voluntary sector will be affected by the Better Care Fund as it provides social care services, supports preventative activities for those ineligible for social care, and brings the voice of service users and patients to commissioners.
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