The NHS Future Forum has called for Health and Wellbeing Boards to become the "crucible of health and social care integration".

However, the Forum also warned that for truly effective integration it would be necessary for the Government to look beyond the usual horizons of health and social care services.

This proposed move has been praised by various mental health groups including the Centre for Mental Health.

Their chief executive Sean Duggan said: "We welcome the proposal for existing pooled budgeting arrangements to be protected and for more coherence between NHS, social care and public health outcome measures.

"These are vital first steps to create the right environment for agencies to join forces to support people whose needs transcend traditional service boundaries.

“But we need to do much more to nurture integration in all its forms and to get best value from a range of public services which too often leave gaps into which the most vulnerable people fall, only then will we address the causes of mental ill health and ensure people with multiple needs get the right support."