The Integrated Care in Shropshire project: lessons from experience

Support for the idea of teamwork as an abstract ideal is not matched by practice. The Integrated Care in Shropshire project formed a partnership between Shropshire Social Services Department, Shropshire District Health Authority and Shropshire Family Health Services Authority together with the Helen Hamlyn Foundation. The first strand of the project was the development of procedures for assessment; it had a relatively clear goal and a firm deadline. The second strand was the development of better-integrated primary health care teams, but insufficient time and resources limited what could be achieved. Collaboration between the agencies has been extended for a further period and local units will be invited to put forward their own schemes. The ICIS project illustrates the need for 'pilot projects' to be conceived and managed by their sponsor agencies as sites for organisational learning if they are to be effective.