Joint health posts mooted in Wales

Pooled budgets and joint posts between health and social services bodies look set to be  recommended by a Welsh public sector review.

The review’s initial work has highlighted the lack of joint working between health and social care and supports secondments and joint posts between social services departments and local health boards, and across social services as well.

Steve Thomas, director of the Welsh Local Government Association, said joint posts might be developed across the whole workforce and not just at managerial level.

He added that the review “wants to see more pooled budgets, as we are nowhere near the levels in England, and [ensure that] where there is a lack of capacity in local government, services
can help each other out.” The review, which is chaired by Local Government Association vice-chair Sir Jeremy Beecham and NHS Confederation chief executive Gill Morgan, will publish its full findings in the summer.