Case studies

Gateshead Council commissions a dedicated substance misuse service for young people.

Staff from Gateshead’s substance misuse service have a presence at the borough’s main hospital four days a week. This gives them a chance to identify and engage patients who have alcohol-related problems.

The Gloji Energy programme, initiated in response to persistent obesity rates and amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasises physical and emotional wellbeing for children and their families.

The Gorton Hub provides a one-stop-shop for residents to access a range of health and social care services, employment support and more.

How public health became involved When based in the PCT, public health was central to both NHS strategic planning and joint planning with the council. This role was maintained when it transferred to the council, with public health taking the lead for several aspects of the BCF and wider integration.

Hertfordshire based its work on topics jointly agreed as priorities rather than just what the public health team thought was important. Projects with too many barriers or dependencies were put back while higher priority and more deliverable projects were prioritised.

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and the CCG are moving jointly towards an integrated outcomes-based adult community health and social care service. This aspiration now also includes mental health services and early thinking has started for children’s services

Somerset County Council and Somerset CCG have been developing joined up care for several years, and this has accelerated through initiatives such as joint commissioning, an integrated data system, and the BCF programme.  A model for ambitious, whole-system reform is now being developed

Wakefield Connecting Care programme, which incorporates the BCF, is a partnership between the CCG and the council, working closely with NHS providers and the voluntary and community sectors.  A key element of the programme is establishing integrated care hubs – care closer to people’s homes through integrated teams based around GP practices.

The public health team has contributed to a five year integration strategy bringing together a wide range of adult health and care services. An important public health role is to identify high-risk population groups whose needs impact significantly on both health and social care services, thereby revealing a mutual interest for both NHS and county council to develop integrated improvement and prevention services.