Providing seamless community health and social services

This article reviews a variety of Government community health policies and initiatives, from the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 to the emergence of primary care groups (PGCs). The Labour administration abolished GP fundholding and has placed considerable emphasis on its commitment to partnership with the care professions. The Government is also expecting a commitment to partnership between the community care professions in order to reflect the entwined social and health-care needs of the individual requiring care in the community. The role of the district nursing service has been brought into focus with the opportunity of representation at PCG board level. Evaluating how a district nursing service may integrate with social services is therefore, and appropriate strategy for assessing whether recent policy initiatives go far enough at grass roots level in facilitating collaboration and quality community care.