A panel of national and international experts has been appointed to select the first round of integrated care pioneer projects, which are set to transform the way health and care services are run across the country.

Drawing upon expertise from leading health and care professionals in the United States, Sweden, New Zealand and the UK, the panel will select the best examples of ways that healthcare, care and support, and services for groups, such as the elderly and those with disabilities, can work seamlessly together.

The successful ‘pioneers’ will be encouraged and supported to work innovatively, to share findings and to confront any current barriers to care being joined up and focused on the needs of individuals.

In May 2013, NHS England and a collaboration of national partners signed up to a series of commitments on how they will help local areas to integrate services. The aim is to bring the fragmented parts of the system together, and make sure services are shaped around the needs of people. A total of 111 areas applied to become integrated care pioneers, the final list of which will be announced in the autumn. The 111 bids will be reduced to a shortlist and then whittled down further by the panel to those selected to take part in the ground breaking initiative.

John Young, National Clinical Director for Integration and Frail Elderly at NHS England said: “The overwhelming feedback from patients and their families is that better integration of health and social care is essential in improving their care experience. It is important that we drive this forward and the Integrated Care Pioneers will provide important national learning so that we will be better placed to make effective progress.”

The panel is confirmed as:

• Jennifer Dixon, Nuffield Trust (Chair)
• Jon Glasby, Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham
• Chris Ham, The King’s Fund
• Göran Henriks, Jönköping County Council, Sweden
• Sharon Levine, Kaiser Permanente, USA
• Geraint Martin, Counties Manukau, New Zealand
• Catherine Pollard, Monitor
• Don Redding, National Voices
• Jon Rouse, Department of Health
• Sally Warren, Public Health England
• Andrew Webster, Local Government Association
• John Young, NHS England
• Jenny Owen, ADASS

NHS England is proud to be a partner in the national programme for integrated care and support, which aims to promote and enable CCGs, local authorities and their partners, develop and deliver more coordinated, personalised and better care for their populations. The integration pioneers are a key part of this, and NHS England is very encouraged by the response to the pioneers call for volunteers.  The national programme on integrated care and support will be delivering various workstreams to help local areas with their plans for integration, including: leadership, incentives, narrative, evidence and case for change, measurement, information and quality. NHS England is also working closely with the Commissioning Assembly Working Group on integration, chaired by Hugh Reeve to define and deliver a programme to help CCGs take forward their ambitions for integrated care in their areas.