Councillor Tracy Kelly, Salford City Council lead member for adult services, health and wellbeing, said: “We are one of the first councils in the country to completely join-up all our adult social care services with NHS health services and create a new organisation to deliver them.
“It has taken years of careful work and strong partnership links – including a successful Integrated Care Programme for 65 year olds and older – to set up this new integrated care organisation which will be led by Salford Royal.
“It’s a bold, brave move but one which I believe will deliver better and more personalised services for our residents and, in the face of reduced resources and increasing demand, it will protect and enhance the fantastic services and staff we have developed over many years.
“We’ve done this because we all – the city council and the NHS – want the best for people in Salford.”
Dr Hamish Stedman, chair of Salford CCG, said: “Over time, the ICO will completely change and transform the relationship that the NHS and adult social care has with patients, people and communities.
“This move to integrate adult health and social work will join the dots for patients and help deliver safe, consistent and co-ordinated care.”
Sir David Dalton, chief executive at Salford Royal, said: “The launch of the ICO marks the beginning of a pioneering transformation of health and social care across the city of Salford.
“By pooling expertise, skills and knowledge, the care we provide will be even more patient-focussed and joined up so we can help reduce the need for hospital admissions and also reduce the length of a hospital stay.
“This new and improved way of working will give patients the appropriate support they need to effectively self-manage their own care in the comfort of their own home.
As part of the new ICO, Salford Royal will hold the contract for Salford adult and older person’s mental health services – presently held by Salford CCG – and will sub-contract it to the current provider, Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMW).
GMW’s deputy chief executive, Neil Thwaite said: “This shared vision to improve the care of Salford residents will offer targeted support for people with long-term mental health conditions to help them keep their independence for as long as possible.
“By pooling our expertise in this way, we can provide more co-ordinated mental health care, helping people to access the right care at the right time. It will enable us to create more personalised services for residents and work together more efficiently to provide care closer to home.”
Pictured above right are representatives from the partner organisations.