Agenda item - Presentation -Briefing on NHS White Paper

Joint presentation by Executive Director, Adult Health and Social Care and NHS Representatives

8.1      The Executive Director, Adult Health and Social Care gave a presentation detailing and updating in respect of the NHS White Paper Feb 2021 Health and Care Bill the intention of which was for partners to work together by integration and innovation to improve health and social care. The rationale behind the legislation was explained which was to embed place based working and continually evolving partnership working. It was noted that Government intended to move quickly on this Bill – i.e. two readings of Bill over the summer, shadow structures in place by Oct 2021, and full implementation from Spring 2022.The white paper acknowledged the need for social care reform to support its ambitions

8.2      The legislation would give Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) a statutory footing. The statutory ICS arrangements will be made up of two core elements working across Sussex:

o   The Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) made up of the NHS, Local Government, community and voluntary sector, Healthwatch and other partners;

o   The Integrated Care Board (ICB) will be the statutory body that brings the NHS together locally, working alongside local authorities to improve population health and care.

8.3      Under the new structural framework CCGs would be abolished and their commissioning functions would transfer to the ICB, as potentially would NHS England commissioning functions, including around Public Health. The NHSE would set finance allocations to each ICB, including a duty to deliver annual financial balance. Every ICB had statutory duties, including to secure continuous improvement in the quality of services and in patient outcomes, and to reduce health inequalities (in terms of access and of outcomes). Each ICB needed to develop an ICB 5 year forward plan(refreshed annually) for primary, community and acute healthcare services. ICB ‘forward plans’ needed to be shared with local Health & Wellbeing Boards, and also needed to take account of local Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategies (JHWS).

8.4      It was explained that the ICB would be a senior  decision making structure for the local NHS, providing strategic leadership across the ICS. Every ICB would have a duty to:

o   Promote the NHS Constitution

o   Be efficient, effective and economical

o   Secure continuous improvement in the quality of services and in patient outcomes

o   Reduce health inequalities (in terms of access and of outcomes)

o   Promote patient involvement

o   Promote patient choice

o   Obtain appropriate expert advice

o   Promote innovation

o   Promote research

o   Promote education & training

o   Promote integration (within the NHS and between the NHS and LA social care)

8.5      In answer to Member questions it was explained that the precise mechanisms to effect these changes and precisely how they would operate in practice had yet to be advised and determined. Further updates would be provided to the Board and Member Briefings arranged as/when appropriate.

8.6      Dr Hodson explained in answer to questions that in respect of the ICS and there would be various degrees of control which could be used in a more focused local way which would build on ways of working which had already been put into place in established in response the current pandemic. There remained bigger questions to be answered as further information was made available from central government but it was understood that social care provision and means by which it could be made more sustainable went hand in hand with other care provision. It was recognised that delivery of dentistry had been problematic in consequence of the pandemic and NHS England were aware that waiting lists for treatment had been longer as a result. Measures were being put into place to seek to increase capacity.

8.7      RESOLVED – That the contents of the presentation be noted and received.