The effect of an integrated approach to care

In health and social care, integration of services occurs where agencies involved with patients at different stages of the care pathway are, or become part of, a single organisation, e.g. the structural integration of primary, community and secondary care achieved by hospitals expanding their scope. With the introduction of statutory registration for paramedics and the advancement of graduate entry in 2003, it could be suggested that it was at this stage that recognition of the paramedic profession occurred. Ambulance services in the UK have moved away from being a part of secondary care, with the establishment of much stronger links within and with the primary care sector. Along with this came developments in the role of the paramedic, moving away from a focus on the transportation of patients and the provision of first aid, to the assessment and treatment of people presenting with a wide range of trauma and medical conditions.