Continuity and Connectivity: Who will Stabilise the Systems that Support Health Care Outside Hospital?

Abstract

The success of the forthcoming policy promoting health care outside hospitals will depend on achievement of fully integrated services, especially for individuals at risk of hospitalisation. Using as a case study the evaluation of a community response team, this paper argues that past attempts to achieve such service integration with frail elderly people have been short‐lived because of the impact of restructuring of the major commissioning organisations. While the effectiveness of integrated service developments can be demonstrated, the positive benefits have not been sustained, and valuable learning has been lost. By identifying key aspects of organisational memory, the paper proposes a more relationship‐focused approach to reform in which multi‐agency teams are given the time to establish personal services for vulnerable people.

Citation

Sang, B. (2006), "Continuity and Connectivity: Who will Stabilise the Systems that Support Health Care Outside Hospital?", Journal of Integrated Care, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 38-43. https://doi.org/10.1108/14769018200600009