26th International Conference on Integrated Care | 13-15 April 2026 in Birmingham

Conference Themes: Integrated Care For All: Promoting Health and Wellbeing Through Diversity

Evidence to inform the development and strengthening of integrated care has grown considerably over the past two decades through primary research, people’s lived experience of accessing health and care, and the practice knowledge of professionals and practitioners. We now have a much better understanding of the impacts of interventions such as care co-ordination, multi-disciplinary teams, shared pathways and peer support. We also have better insights into how to implement across a system through policy incentives, organisational budgeting, individual record systems, and adapting professional cultures.

However, our knowledge of how to fully embrace and respond to diversity within integrated care contexts and opportunities has been limited. Population diversity is increasing worldwide through migration, cultural exchange, employment patterns, and demographic changes. Recognising and embracing this diversity through building on the new networks, communities and collaborative opportunities it presents, will be vital for integrated care to be relevant and inclusive in the longer term. Engaging with diversity is relevant across people’s life span, for those who face complex social issues, in times of transition, and in relation to mental and physical wellbeing. Co-producing services with those who reflect current diversity will be key to ensuring that they are built around what matters to people and their communities.

Widening the diversity of the workforce engaged within integrated care is also key to strengthening its impact. The vital role of health and care professionals in achieving more person-centred and coordinated care has long been recognised including doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists and others. There is though much less known about to better integrate the contribution of those who often have most contact with people and their families, such as those working in direct care roles, housing support, and peer support. As Integrated care looking to address wider health and care inequalities, programmes also look to improve the health and wellbeing of populations alongside improving individual care. This requires the engagement of a wider workforce, including those based within the voluntary and community sector, broader public services including transport, education and criminal justice, and the business community.

Finally, we need to continue to enhance interventions and approaches to embed and support integrated care through ensuring there is sufficient diversity to reflect changing needs and contexts. New technologies present both challenges and opportunities to our existing models as they change how people communicate and interact with each other and with services and can lead to greater inequalities in access. Integration must be open to forge new partnerships with emerging sectors whilst retaining its core values and principles and continuing to people at the centre. In recent years, integrated care has increasingly engaged within building on social, environmental and cultural assets within our communities and neighbourhoods. There is though much more to learn about how integrated care can collaborate with such community strengths and resources.