The integration white paper: our response

The NHS Confederation had early opportunities to feed into the development of the integration white paper and we have welcomed that some of the more disruptive early proposals under consideration did not feature in the final version.

The white paper largely reinforces existing policy and we have broadly welcomed the direction it sets. Certain areas, such as around better data sharing and the focus on enabling workforce integration, could help to improve care for individuals. However, arguably the document should be considered a green rather than a white paper as there are several issues that will need further exploration and clarification.

The white paper concludes by setting out a series of questions across five different themes. Our position on each theme is given in our response, including detail on how our members expect to be involved as the proposals set out in the white paper are taken forward over the coming months.