Agenda item

To provide an overview of the continuing development of the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Partnership (ICP).

Professor Sarah O’Brien, Chief Nursing Officer, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Karen Smith, Director of Health and Care Integration (Blackpool) at NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB and Blackpool Council Director of Adult Services (joint appointment) gave a joint presentation on the ongoing development of the ICB and the action to be taken to integrate health and social care more closely together.

It was reported that NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) was established on 1 July 2023. The eight Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in Lancashire and South Cumbria had been closed and the ICB had taken on the local commissioning functions as well as some of NHS England’s commissioning functions and was now accountable for NHS spending and performance within the system. At this time the Integrated Care Partnership was also established as a statutory committee with Blackpool Council as a statutory member. The aims of the ICB were set as to:

•      Improve outcomes in population health and healthcare

•      Tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience and access

•      Enhance productivity and value for money

•      Help the NHS support broader social and economic development

In addition to the wider priorities, specific areas for improvement had been targeted by the ICB and a 10-year vision was being developed covering areas such as urgent and emergency care, how to deliver a challenging budget and to further integrate community health and social care services. Work on a draft strategy had commenced with workshops held with Blackpool partners and would be circulated for public consultation in due course.

It was noted that a key concern of the Committee had been the size of Blackpool in comparison to the overall size of the area of Lancashire and South Cumbria and Members were pleased to note that the borders had been redefined and now included Blackpool as a ‘place’ in its own right. This had led to the appointment of Ms Smith as the Director of Health and Care Integration (Blackpool) and allowed for priorities and services to be identified for Blackpool as its own entity.

In reference to the ICB priority ‘start well’, Members queried what this priority would entail. In response, Professor O’Brien advised that the importance of living well from birth to death had been reflected in the ICB priorities and that it was considered that many problems expected for adults in later life could be positively affected and improved if different approaches were taken when they were children. It was noted that Better Start was actively involved and services were working together for the benefit of all. The importance of other social determinants for a healthy life such as housing life was also noted.

In response to further questions, it was noted that the intention was that a joint committee would be established in the Blackpool ‘place’ which would be able to take decisions on funding. The main role of the Director of Health and Care Integration (Blackpool) would be to enable and encourage strong partnership working and lead the joint committee locally. It was expected that previous challenges such as data sharing across organisations could be more easily targeted with the new integrated arrangements.

The Committee agreed to add a further update on the development of the ICB to its workplan to include the development of the vision and strategy and to request that a briefing session be provided for all Members following the election.