Agenda item

This report and attached presentation provide an update on the development of the NHS Integrated Care Board and Kent & Medway Integrated Care Partnership.

Discussion:

The Executive Director Strategy and Population Health, Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (ED, K&M CCG) gave a presentation which updated the Board on the development of the NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Kent and Medway Integrated Care Partnership (ICP), which together constituted the Integrated Care System (ICS) to be put on statutory footing currently from  July 2022.

The ED, K&M CCG explained the work which had been undertaken so far, including the need to future proof the system, avoiding duplication as well as setting out the core purposes of the ICS.  The ICP would have a specific responsibility to develop an Integrated Care Strategy for the whole population that would help support wellbeing and broader social and economic issues. She also explained how the ICB would work, with regards to service provision and governance.

There was a view that the proposed transformation was beneficial to the community over the longer term.  The following issues were discussed:

Population Health Management: As regards health and care provisions in respect of the criminal justice system and former members of the armed forces under the new system, the ED, K&M CCG advised that while concrete arrangements would be finalised in due course, she would expect responsibility to lie with the ICP and/or Health and Wellbeing Board. She explained that the ICP would have a broad composition which would help inclusivity as well as recognising it was important to ensure the right people were involved in the specific discussion for these issues.

Quality of healthcare: A Board member expressed support for the integration, yet he was much more concerned about the quality of healthcare delivered for Medway residents and would endeavour to defend their interest should any changes to the system and organisational structures lower the quality. The ED, K&M CCG explained that the present re-organisation was due to a change in the law. She stated that as the collaborative development proceeded as planned, it was the responsibility of all partners to become excellent organisations and to work together to make health and wellbeing better than any partner could do alone.  Improvements in quality were expected in all of the organisations.

Placed-based Partnership: A Board member informed the Board about the expected changes to the Medway and Swale Health and Care Partnership (HCP) during the transformation. He pointed out that the new ICBs to be established placed a much greater focus on inclusive decision making across all partners. Under the place-based partnership, respective local neighbourhoods would be involved in the design and implementation of local care pathways and arrangements must support greater collaboration and integration. Citing the COVID experience where the previous barrier between residents and health organisations had been broken down, all partners could now move forward from the built-up channel in delivering health and care services focusing specifically on patients’ experience.

Access to GP services: In response to a query about the Board’s request raised at the meeting in June 2021 for a follow-up report on access to GP services which remained outstanding, it was noted that whilst a report on the Medway and Swale Local Care Plan had been considered by the Board in September 2021, it had been considered inadequate.

Decisions:

The Health and Wellbeing Board noted

a)    the updated development of the ICB/ICP; and

b)    that an update on primary care provision would be submitted to the next meeting.