The Health and Social Care Secretary, with the support of NHS England, set out new proposals to build on the successful response to the pandemic on 11 February 2021. The proposals will bring health and care services closer together to build back better by improving care and tackling health inequalities.
The measures set out in a government White Paper, will modernise the legal framework to make the health and care system fit for the future and put in place targeted improvements for the delivery of public health and social care. It will support local health and care systems to deliver higher quality care to their communities, in a way that is less legally bureaucratic, more accountable and more joined up, by bringing together the NHS, local government and partners together to tackle the needs of their communities as a whole.
The proposals build on the NHS’ recommendations for legislative change in the NHS Long Term Plan.
NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) have previously published the Integrated Care System (ICS) Design Framework to guide next steps in developing ICS’ in line with the Bill and the White Paper. It should be noted that until the legislation is agreed by Parliament the move to create new statutory NHS bodies to replace clinical commissioning groups remains a proposal.
Our organisation is part of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate ICS.
The national aim is to have NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) chair designate and chief executive designate appointments made by October 2021. The recruitment process for the chair designate has begun, with the appointee ready to assume the new role from April 2022 if the Bill is passed and in a designate capacity prior to this.
We are also expecting the HR framework to be shared soon, with the potential for the recruitment of our ICS Chief Executive role taking place in the next few weeks.
You can find out more on the White Paper legislation here.
