What is happening on July 1?
More than 100 NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will be abolished and replaced with 42 integrated care boards (ICBs)
ICBs will take over planning and funding of hospital, GP and other NHS services
Integrated care partnerships (ICPs) will also be created, involving NHS, local authorities and others working together to improve health and wellbeing for people
ICBs and ICPs are part of the 42 integrated care systems across England
These changes are a result of new legislation, the Health and Care Act (2022)
Kings Fund have created a short animation to explain the changes, please press play, below.
How will ICBs be different from CCGs? CCGs covered smaller areas and were led by local GPs - the most used NHS service - to ensure their knowledge of local people's health needs informed decisions. The new ICBs will cover much larger areas and will be led by a different mix of managers, doctor and nurse representatives and others.
So who will plan and fund NHS services for locals across Wokingham Borough? The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (‘BOB ICB’) will hold a £2.bn NHS budget for 1.8m people living in Reading, Wokingham, West Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Previously, healthcare was overseen by the Berkshire West CCG, which held a budget of around £6.6m for 557,500 people across Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire. Will patients and the public get a say on the ICB’s decisions? The BOB ICB says it will:
Consult with the public to help inform its plans, as set out in its Working with People and Communities strategy, such as by holding two public forums a year
Comply with rules for public consultation if major changes to services are planned
Respond to patient experience recommendations made by the five Healthwatch in Reading, Wokingham, West Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Follow 10 principles set by NHS England on working with people and communities.
10 principles for working with local people The new NHS funding body for our area says it will follow these principles: 1. Put the voices of people and communities at the centre of decision-making 2. Start engagement early and tell people how this has influenced action and decisions 3. Understand community needs, experiences and hopes and check with people that change in health and care is working for them 4. Build relationships with excluded groups – especially those affected by inequalities 5. Work with local Healthwatch and the voluntary & community sector as key partners 6. Ensure the vision, plans and progress are clear and accessible, to build trust 7. Use approaches that empower people and communities and link to social action 8. Use co-production, insight and engagement to achieve accountable services 9. Co-produce and redesign services and tackle priorities in partnership with the public 10. Learn from what works and build on the assets of all partners.
Will ICB meetings be held in public?
Yes. Meetings will be publicised at least three days in advance. The public can be excluded from parts of meetings if there are confidential or special reasons. The first meeting was held on 1 July and the next will be held on 27 September. Details on ICB meetings can be found here.
Who’s who on the ICB?
Chair: Javed Khan, a former chief executive of Barnado’s and Victim Support
Chief executive officer: Dr James Kent, a previous special health advisor to Teresa May when she was Prime Minister
Full details on the rest of the leadership team can be found on the BOB ICS engagement and transition website.