Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Accepted in Part
Paragraph: 107
Gather and review ICB membership data, assessing representation and policy effectiveness for NHS dental services.
Recommendation
We contest the Department’s rejection of the recommendation in our ‘Integrated Care Systems: autonomy and accountability’ report, and reiterate that they should centrally gather information relating to the membership of ICBs, including the specific role of members and their area of expertise. We also recommended the Department should review that information with a view to understanding whether the policy of keeping mandated representation to a minimum is the right one and whether any specialties are especially under-represented. We believe this is particularly relevant in the case of NHS dental services.
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, stating that NHS England has published guidance on effective clinical leadership and ICBs are asked to ensure diverse professional integration. However, the government has not changed its stance on centrally gathering and reviewing ICB membership information itself, noting that ICBs already publish this data and can appoint additional members as needed.
Paragraph Reference:
107
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
Partially Accept NHS England have published implementation guidance on effective clinical and care professional leadership within ICBs. As part of the development of local frameworks and wider governance arrangements, system leaders were asked to commit that they ensured that the full range of clinical and professional leaders from diverse backgrounds are integrated into system decision-making at all levels. The Government has not changed its stance since the publishing of our response to the Committee’s report on integrated care systems: autonomy and accountability on 14 June this year. As stated in our response previously, ICBs are required to publish their constitution, which includes a list of ICB board members, in accordance with the Health and Care Act 2022. ICBs have made board member information, including members’ expertise and knowledge, publicly available on their websites. Where the ICB proposes a change to its board membership this will be discussed with the NHS England regional team as part of the constitutional amendment approval process. The Health and Care Act 2022 sets out membership requirements of ICBs that include representatives from NHS trusts, primary care and local authorities. However, local areas can go beyond the legislative minimum requirements in order to address their local needs. Most ICBs have used this discretion and appointed additional members such as members for public health, Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector representatives and others based on their local area needs, therefore all ICBs are already free to include representation from the dental profession where they deem this necessary. DHSC will continue to work closely with NHS England and ICBs to ensure that the current arrangements are working.