Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Acknowledged
Department expects Integrated Care Boards to maintain local accountability and stakeholder balance.
Recommendation
We asked the Department whether the current locally–led approaches would be retained as part of the new structure to allow better local accountability, and whether previous commitments about public health and prevention would also be retained. The Department said that the ideal set–up for an ICB to meet its commitments and be held to account was through a good balance of stakeholders, including local authorities, primary, secondary, community, and other care providers, to maintain local, but joined up, accountability.15 11 Qq 9–10, 14 12 Q 17 13 NHS England, NHS Chief to stand down at end of March, 25 February 2025; NHS England, England’s top doctor to stand down after over seven years, 6 March 2025; NHS England, NHS England board members stepping down, 10 March 2025 14 Qq 20, 27 15 Q 26 12 The development of the Harlow Health Security Campus
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to retain locally-led approaches, stating that reforms empower local leaders and NHS England has already clarified that Integrated Care Boards should foster strong relationships with local government to improve outcomes. The 10 Year Health Plan will further address shifting healthcare to the community, but specific new actions are not detailed.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
1.6 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: to be confirmed, subject to Primary Legislation 1.7 These reforms focus on empowering frontline staff and local leaders to drive improvements in patient care, by reducing duplication and improving services for patients through a more efficient, less bureaucratic system. 1.8 Strong partnership working at place will be an essential enabler to neighbourhood health; delivering joined up care closer to people’s home and proactively supporting people in the community to avoid deterioration of health. This is as much about integration within the NHS – between primary care, community and acute services – as it is about integration between the NHS and wider public sector partners. 1.9 NHS England has already clarified through the model Integrated Care Board blueprint that Integrated Care Boards should continue to foster strong relationships with local government in their places, so that they build a shared understanding of their populations and work together to commission neighbourhood services to improve outcomes and tackle inequalities. NHS England and the department will work closely with the Local Government Association to take this forward throughout the organisational change programme. 1.10 The 10 Year Health Plan will set out an agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, analogue to digital, sickness to prevention. In line with the shift from hospital to the community, preserving and improving effective working relationships with local government and further enabling local systems are core principles that will remain central in the department’s ongoing organisational design work.