Integrated care is a key priority for the NHS and for the Royal College of Physicians' (RCP) Future Hospital Programme (FHP), as highlighted in the Future Hospital Commission report. The FHP worked to review current models of integrated diabetes care, exploring how outcomes are improved for patients by better working across care sectors. This led to the publication of the Integrated care – taking specialist medical care beyond the hospital walls report.
The review of integrated care represents views from front-line physicians, hospital trainees, academics, GPs and lay partners on how the physician community, the FHP and other organisations can support, develop and deliver integrated care. It details urgent changes that are required to make integrated care and the NHS Five Year Forward View a reality.
This report highlights key processes and ingredients that are required for integrated care, and it provides a valuable resource for clinicians and service leads to develop and deliver integrated care. Recommendations to inform the future activity of the RCP FHP and its partners are detailed in this report. The report also provides guidance to policymakers, think tanks and strategy writers for integrated care.