Southwark is enhancing its approach to resident well-being through the development of integrated health teams, aiming to provide more accessible and coordinated care.
At a recent Health, Adult Social Care and Community Safety Scrutiny Commission meeting, Darren Summers, Strategic Director for Integrated Health and Care, presented an overview of Partnership Southwark. This initiative is designed to create a joined-up neighbourhood system
to keep residents healthy, support their independence, reduce health inequalities, and protect public services from unsustainable demand.
Partnership Southwark brings together the council, NHS providers, and the voluntary sector to address five key challenges: unmet mental health needs, lack of support for frailty and complexity, missed prevention opportunities, health inequalities, and workforce shortages.
Central to this strategy is the establishment of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs). These teams aim to bring care closer to residents' homes by integrating GPs, community health services, mental health support, and local authority services. The practical management of this integration is being handled through the establishment of INTs, which aim to fully integrate services and staff around people's lives
to deliver coordinated and proactive care
. A partnership between Guy's & St Thomas' (GSTT) and Southwark Primary Care Provider Alliance (SPCPA) has been appointed as the Integrator
responsible for coordinating the design, mobilisation, and delivery of these teams. An Integrator Delivery Board
has been established and reports into the Partnership Southwark Strategic Board.
Pilots are underway across Southwark, focusing on supporting individuals with multiple long-term conditions, frailty, and children with complex needs.
More information on the Health, Adult Social Care and Community Safety Scrutiny Commission can be found in the Public reports pack and the Agenda frontsheet.
