ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates role of social services departments, and local authorities in general, in primary care groups (PCG) and their potential contribution to emerging National Health Service primary care trusts. It explores how well-equipped social services departments are to participate, and considers the potential within social services for helping to develop local health agendas. The chapter considers some of the conditions that are necessary in order for local authorities to fully operate as equal partners in the task of planning an integrated healthcare service for their populations. There is a long history attached to aligning social and health services. The local authority’s own guidelines for PCG representation emphasised the need for the board member to represent the local authority, not just the social services department. The view of the Assistant Director of Social Services was that a well established tradition of close health and social services co-working in the authority had provided a sound basis for the establishment of PCGs.
