Trying to get many partners working to a common goal should be easy if you share a vision the rest should follow . This was my view 6 months ago when appointed as a senior programme lead , supporting the development of an ICS in end of life care . My naivety was challenged pretty early on. My anchor was and continues to be, doing the right thing by the people and families using our services . Life is never that simplistic, in order for us to move into a fully functioning ICS will take far more than a shared vision , a joint board and penned sharing agreements . Whilst these components are important they require underpinning by relationships,relationships between all parties that are founded on trust, honesty and belief in each partners commitment to a single system .
The ability to put the needs of the patient above the needs of any organisation is key to success but that takes bravery and frequent leaps of faith.
Building an Integrated Care system is not a quick fix, it’s bigger than co location or shared policies rather it is a journey , a journey that challenges the cultural tennets of our systems that are entrenched in a business model that breeds competition and distrust of colleagues. it’s time to turn the system on it head, to challenge, break down the constraints of a divided health and social care framework .
The building of an ICS is not about inflating any individual or organisational egos and I’m not for one minute suggesting egos are bad they are the drivers, that force that pushes us to make a difference , however the end point has to be beyond those egos, The end point for us has to be a collective working together across the whole system with the person truly at the centre ,