Brighton and Hove City Council is to merge some services with the Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
The two organisations will set up a Health and Social Care Integration Board which will spend its first year operating as a “shadow organisation” – paving the way for a full integration.
The aims include cutting out waste and duplication as well as bringing a better focus to patient care.
The board will be responsible for a combined budget of at least £320 million with much of it spent on hospital care.
Councillor Dan Yates said that there was currently too little transparency across the health and social care system, including on financial matters.
But he said that the new arrangements were “about oversight not control”.
It’s about trying to get rid of the wasted effort of arguing about which organisation would spend the money and focus on where the best place is to care for someone.
The shadow board will take effect from April and the board will integrate full a year later.
Democratic oversight will continue to be provided by elected councillors on the Health and Wellbeing Board.
Both the council and the CCG now operate from Hove Town Hall after reviewing their office needs.
