Why we did this project
The 2022 Health and Care Act introduced new legislative measures that aim to make it easier for health and care organisations to deliver joined-up care for people who rely on multiple different services, building on earlier recommendations by NHS England and NHS Improvement.
The King’s Fund has spent many years making the case for integrated care and worked to inform the new legislation. We also focused on other aspects of the reforms, pushing for stronger action to support the health and care workforce, arguing the need for a fairer social care system, successfully encouraging government to make tackling inequalities a key aim of the NHS, and advising government on necessary safeguards around ministerial powers to intervene in service changes.
Project content
Here you can find some of our content and commentary aimed at helping you to make sense of the Health and Care Act, as well as our work on integrated care.
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How does the NHS in England work and how is it changing?
Watch our animation to discover the key organisations that make up the NHS and how they can collaborate with partners in the health and care system to deliver joined-up care.
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The Health and Care Act: six key questions
The Health and Care Act, which introduces significant reforms to the organisation and delivery of health and care services in England, received Royal Assent in April 2022. In this long r...
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Provider collaboratives: explaining their role in system working
What are provider collaboratives and how will they fit into the wider health and care system? Our explainer looks at how these structures could develop and the opportunities they offer.
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Integrated care systems: how will they work under the Health and Care Act?
We've developed a diagram to show how integrated care systems will work under the Health and Care Act.
Further commentary on The Health and Care Act 2022
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Integrated care systems need to be different - but how exactly?
Integrated care systems are intended to be part of a new way of working in health and care based on principles of partnership and collective responsibility. Chris Naylor asks whether thi...
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The Health and Care Act 2022: the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead
Now the Health and Care Act has been passed, Richard Murray reflects on the negotiations that went down to the wire, what didn’t make it and what’s needed to ensure the reforms are succe...
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Reform of adult social care: some progress, but nowhere near enough
How well is the government’s reform programme tackling the eight key problems in adult social care? Simon Bottery marks the government’s score card and finds it wanting.
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Developing place-based partnerships
This report considers the potential of place-based partnerships to improve population health and support truly integrated care, and highlights principles to guide their development and t...
The King's Fund responds to the Prime Minister's speech on its Plan for Change and the NHS waiting list 'milestone'
Sarah Woolnough comments on the Prime Minister's speech on the health 'mission' milestone of meeting the 18-week wait for planned hospital care.
Implementing a long-term plan for health: what can we learn from international examples?
As the government is working on its 10-year plan for health, we explore international case studies to see how other countries and regions have implemented their plans.
The assisted dying debate has shone a light on the state of palliative and social care
The debate on assisted dying took place recently. But do people have access to the care and support they need to live well too, asks Deborah Fenney.
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The government’s first 100 days and what it means for health and care
What impact has the first 100 days of the new Labour government had on health and care? Join Andrew McCracken, Charlotte Wickens and Siva Anandaciva as they explore what's happened, what...