A London borough is planning to ditch its community care plan in order to incorporate it into the local health improvement plan in a bid to extend joint working between health and local authorities.

The idea is being backed by Kingston and Richmond health authority, whose public health director Dr Carole Martin said: 'As long as a community care plan is available, I don't see that how it is presented can be seen as a problem.'

Kingston's community services director, Roy Taylor, told HSJ that he hoped his authority would be the first to produce a community care plan which would be combined with the local HImP, and on which all sides would agree.

He pointed out the Department of Health is already considering the future of community care plans, which councils are required to update every three years at present.

See news focus, pages 6-7.