Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with (a) NHS England and (b) local authorities on coordinating social care for people with overlapping illnesses.

The Department is working with NHS England and the Local Government Association to co-develop a National Framework for Neighbourhood Health Plans. This framework will outline how the National Health Service, local authorities, and other partners should work together under the leadership of health and wellbeing boards to design neighbourhood health services for different population cohorts.

The Better Care Fund (BCF) is a framework for integrated care boards and local authorities to make joint plans and pool budgets for integrated health and care. From 2026/27, the BCF will be reformed to ensure consistent joint funding for services that are essential for integrated health and social care, especially for those with complex health and care needs.

People with the most complex needs may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC), an NHS-funded package of health and social care for individuals assessed as having a 'primary health need'. CHC guidance states that integrated care boards must consult with the local authority, as far as reasonably practicable, when assessing eligibility for CHC.