Integrated Children’s Care

Integration in the project was mainly understood as colocation and joined-up working, but its practical meaning remained ambiguous. Successful integration requires more than placing services in the same building. Staff saw separation of children’s mental and physical needs as artificial because children present as whole people in family and social contexts. The study examined planned integration of mental and physical health services in a new colocated specialist children’s hospital in England. Eating disorder care was repeatedly viewed as suitable for a combined mental and physical health approach.