The announcement was made as Phil Hope visited an integrated health and social care service in Milton Keynes. The team is a single point of access for people with learning disabilities, bringing together local NHS services, social workers, dietitians, speech therapists and the local council to provide a full package of personalised care and support.

A new self-assessment tool launched today will give local health and social care services, like the Tower Drive Centre, the opportunity to join the new, extended integrated care community. Innovative services will become part of a new network to prompt debate, discussion and to challenge policy makers. They will share knowledge and best practice with the 16 existing integrated care pilot sites.

The Integrated Care Pilots community began with 16 sites in April 2009, looking beyond traditional health and social care boundaries to explore personalised, flexible and better joined up services. The expanded community will enable more sites to set up projects working across a range of sectors, such as children’s services, education, criminal justice and housing.

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