SERVICES for people with mental illnesses and learning disabilities have undergone a dramatic improvement in the six months since a ground-breaking partnership was forged between Hertfordshire's health and social care agencies.

Representatives from independent health care charity Kings Fund, the NHS and Hertfordshire County Council met to celebrate the group's achievement last week.

United since December last year, the council's adult care service staff and NHS employees now work side by side in community based teams to assess needs and provide staff.

The county was among the first local authorities in the UK to integrate health and social care services under the 1999 Mental Health Act.

Speaking at the meeting, Rabbi Julia Neuberger, chief executive of Kings Fund, said: "A really successful partnership is worth more than the sum of the parts and that is really worth celebrating.

"For many service users and carers, partnership and single access points are making a huge difference."

Councillor Jane Pitman, executive member for adult care services, added: "Grasping the nettle to bring health and social care professionals together is enabling us to focus directly on individual people and their needs.

"As these new services continue to develop and grow, they and their carers will find it easier to reach the advice and support they need to manage their lives."

Pooling mental health and learning disability budgets has enabled the council and the county's eight primary care trusts to provide resources of £120 million to fund and develop this pioneering initiative.

This budget is managed and allocated by a joint commissioning partnership board, comprising councillors and trust representatives.

Chairman of Hertfordshire Partnership Trust, Hattie Llewelyn-Davies, said: "The support of staff and their unions was a key factor in the transfer of staff from one to the other organisation.

"The time and effort they have put in is wonderful."

July 16, 2002 16:00