In my last contribution to Town & Country Planning,~1 I wrote that the current offering would consider some of the key features of the 'frontier' between health, social care and housing. Beware of what you wish for: this topic has now become the centre of intense public concern and political wrangling, with temperatures rising within and outwith hospitals. At the centre of the debate is a growing awareness of the inherent fragility of a system of health and social care delivery that separates the two component parts and delivers them through an organisational labyrinth that varies locally. Furthermore, both health and social care operate in silos that are inadequately connected to housing and planning. The end result is a fragmented (and often high-cost) complex system which outstrips the ability of any of the various organisations to deliver what is required to support an individual; and many of these individuals are vulnerable and require long-term treatment and care.
展开▼
