TY - JOUR
AU - B. Holden
AU - S. Adnan
AU - M. Watson
A1 - 
AB - Integrated care for children and young people in England represents a transformative shift towards holistic, person-centred health services tailored to the needs of local communities. In this first part of a series of three, we describe what we mean by integrated care, and why it is needed now, setting the context for the subsequent parts that detail integrated care's core components and practical implementation.Integrated care addresses multidimensional needs-physical health, mental wellbeing, education and social development-while reducing fragmentation and inefficiency. This approach enables early intervention and improves health equity. Key benefits include streamlined access for families, reduced hospital admissions and better outcomes for vulnerable groups, such as children with complex conditions or those facing social and economic challenges.The evolution of UK child health policy, from the 1959 Platt Report to the 2025 National Health Service 10-Year Health Plan for England, underscores the growing emphasis on multidisciplinary, community-based models. By adopting a whole-population approach-segmenting children by health and social needs rather than rigid pathways-integrated care enables every child to be supported and cared for.Ultimately, integrated care is not just an improvement but a necessity, addressing rising demand, workforce pressures and persistent inequities. It fosters proactive, collaborative systems that prioritise children's wellbeing, offering a sustainable future for child health and care services in England.
AD - Imperial College London School of Public Health, London, England, UK.; Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, England, UK.; Imperial College London School of Public Health, London, England, UK mando.watson@nhs.net.; Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, England, UK.
AN - 41813087
BT - Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed
C5 - Healthcare Disparities; Education & Workforce
DA - Mar 11
DO - 10.1136/archdischild-2025-329132
DP - NLM
ET - 20260311
JF - Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed
LA - eng
N2 - Integrated care for children and young people in England represents a transformative shift towards holistic, person-centred health services tailored to the needs of local communities. In this first part of a series of three, we describe what we mean by integrated care, and why it is needed now, setting the context for the subsequent parts that detail integrated care's core components and practical implementation.Integrated care addresses multidimensional needs-physical health, mental wellbeing, education and social development-while reducing fragmentation and inefficiency. This approach enables early intervention and improves health equity. Key benefits include streamlined access for families, reduced hospital admissions and better outcomes for vulnerable groups, such as children with complex conditions or those facing social and economic challenges.The evolution of UK child health policy, from the 1959 Platt Report to the 2025 National Health Service 10-Year Health Plan for England, underscores the growing emphasis on multidisciplinary, community-based models. By adopting a whole-population approach-segmenting children by health and social needs rather than rigid pathways-integrated care enables every child to be supported and cared for.Ultimately, integrated care is not just an improvement but a necessity, addressing rising demand, workforce pressures and persistent inequities. It fosters proactive, collaborative systems that prioritise children's wellbeing, offering a sustainable future for child health and care services in England.
PY - 2026
SN - 1743-0585
ST - Fifteen-minute consultation: Integrated child health: Part 1 - Why integrated care matters
T1 - Fifteen-minute consultation: Integrated child health: Part 1 - Why integrated care matters
T2 - Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed
TI - Fifteen-minute consultation: Integrated child health: Part 1 - Why integrated care matters
U1 - Healthcare Disparities; Education & Workforce
U3 - 10.1136/archdischild-2025-329132
VO - 1743-0585
Y1 - 2026
ER -