An alliance involving Croydon’s council, NHS and charities is to develop its work after demonstrating early benefits.

The One Croydon Alliance was given the green light in March to develop its work for the next nine years, after demonstrating early benefits, including a 20% reduction in length of hospital stays, up to 14% fewer hospital referrals by GPs and cash savings of at least £12m a year.

Jo Negrini, Croydon council’s chief executive, says: “This unprecedented level of joint working between council staff, the NHS and other alliance partners has meant better health and social care outcomes for residents who might otherwise have continued to [be] in and out of hospital.”

The alliance was set up last year for an initial 12 months during which it focused mainly on people aged 65 and over. The two principal strands of its approach have been a Living Independently for Everyone (Life) programme – an integrated reablement and rehabilitation service for older people on discharge from hospital – and an Integrated Community Networks (ICN) scheme based on weekly “huddles” of professionals from all disciplines to discuss people at risk of going into hospital.

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