A CLINICAL commissioning group is celebrating being awarded Integrated Care Pioneer status.

The announcement was made on Monday by Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb, at an event to promote innovation and integration in health and care, who commended NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group for its work.

The award comes after a short-listing process by a panel of UK and international experts who selected only the most innovative and committed CCGs to become pioneers that aim to support health and social care services to work together.

Fiona Bell, deputy chief operating officer at NHS Vale of York CCG, said: “In our collaboration with partners, we aim to provide a health and social care system that is truly seamless; one that embraces innovation and which allows teams to work together to deliver high quality care.

“A number of schemes currently operating at the pilot stage are responsible for assessing, diagnosing and delivering care, to enable individuals to remain at home or return there as early as possible following ill-health or crisis.

“Initially they will focus on the frail elderly and those with long term conditions, but will ultimately expand to cover the Vale of York area for the whole population.”