Care homes provide the majority of long-term healthcare to older people. They rely on primary care for access to medical support and referral to specialist services, yet studies consistently show that healthcare provision for care home residents across England is unpredictable and uneven.
For the NHS, care homes are a conundrum; they provide care that used to be supplied by the health service, but are often perceived as a poor alternative that generates avoidable demand on hospitals.
So what needs to be put in place to ensure effective collaboration? For our recent study, researchers from seven UK universities tracked the care received by 232 care home residents over 12 months. We reviewed the evidence of what works, when and in what circumstances, and can suggest several key elements that contribute to effective cross-organisational working.
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