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ICS Stakeholder Briefings

  • New Chair appointed to the Integrated Care Board - 31 January 2022

    Crishni Waring has been appointed as chair designate of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB).

    The Integrated Care Board is set to take over from NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) on 1 July 2022, subject to the Health and Care Bill 2021 being passed by Parliament. As well as taking responsibility for the commissioning functions of the CCG, it will also be accountable for NHS spend and performance across the two counties.

    Crishni has significant experience of leadership at senior level. She is currently the Chair of Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, a role which she will continue, having joined from Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust in 2016 where she was a Non-Executive Director for over five years.

    Crishni Waring said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed as the chair designate of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the existing health inequalities suffered by many people, and our vision for more integrated health and care services across the two counties means we now have a real opportunity to make a difference to the lives of people and communities we serve.

    “I can see that strong foundations have been laid in terms of partnership working across organisations. By continuing to work ever more closely across health and care services we know we can have a really positive impact on our population’s health and wellbeing, as well as achieve our ambition of making Herefordshire and Worcestershire a great place to live and work. That is something I’m very excited and privileged to now be a part of.”

    Simon Trickett, Chief Executive of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB, added: “Crishni’s appointment is extremely positive for our system. She brings a huge amount of leadership experience and is incredibly passionate about equality, inclusion and health inequalities, which are all a real focus for our Integrated Care System across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

    “The establishment of Integrated Care Boards means we have the opportunity to do things better and work together to tackle the issues that matter to our communities, and Crishni is definitely the right person to lead us on that journey.”

    Crishni will work closely with the leaders and chairs of all partner organisations, including Sir David Nicholson who is the Chair of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and who had previously been the system’s Interim Chair.

    Sir David Nicholson said: “I’m proud of the significant progress that we’ve achieved over the last two years. Our response to the pandemic further demonstrates the power of collaborative working, and I’m looking forward to working with Crishni as we continue to tackle unfair inequalities and make a demonstrable impact where it is needed the most.” 

  • New Chief Executive appointed to the Integrated Care Board - 11 November 2021

    Dear colleagues

    I am pleased to be able to tell you that following a robust process, NHS England and NHS Improvement have recommended that Simon Trickett is the new Designate Chief Executive of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB), ready to take up the post as soon as the Bill receives Royal Assent.

    Simon, who is currently the Chief Executive of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), has a wealth of experience working in local government and health, meaning he is in a great position to take forward our ambition to deliver better, more joined-up health and care services to our residents.

    The Health and Care Bill 2021, which contains a series of measures to formally establish Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), is currently at Committee Stage receiving a detailed examination following its second reading.

    The Bill will put ICSs on a firm statutory footing, empowering them to better join up health and care, improve population health and reduce health inequalities.

    The ICB is part of these new ICS arrangements to improve joint working across the NHS, local authorities and a wide range of other local partners; to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. Each ICB will hold a substantial budget for commissioning high quality patient care and have the authority to establish performance arrangements to ensure this is delivered.

    A key element of preparing for legislation to take effect is confirming who would take up senior roles within each ICB. This starts with the Designate Chief Executive, responsible for NHS budgets and functions, and for working with our full range of partners and local communities to improve services and the health of those we all serve.

    I am sure, like me, you will look forward to continuing to work with Simon and other colleagues on improving care for the people of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

    The next step will be to recruit a Designate Chair, as well as Non-Executive Members and Executive Directors to the ICB over the coming weeks and we will keep you informed as this work progresses.

    While getting our structures and governance right is crucial, integrated care is about practical, real improvements to care and population health. We thank you for your continued effort to make integrated care a reality, and I will keep you updated as preparations for statutory footing continue.

    Best wishes,

    Sir David Nicholson

    Interim Chair

    Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICS.

  • Chair recruitment process for Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICS - 27 August 2021

    Dear colleague

    As you may be aware, the House of Commons recently voted to give the Health and Care Bill a Second Reading.

    The Bill contains a series of measures which would formally establish Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and give their governing bodies – including an Integrated Care Board (ICB) – a broader range of responsibilities, empowering them to better join up health and care, improve population health and reduce health inequalities.

    While we cannot pre-empt the decisions of Parliament, the Bill receiving a positive vote at Second Reading means there is a degree of confidence that the measures relating to ICSs will become law.

    In turn, that means the NHS locally, regionally, and nationally has a responsibility to prepare for when those measures are expected to come into effect, which is currently April 2022.

    A key element of this preparation is confirming who we would expect to take up senior roles for each NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB), starting with the chair designates.

    Sir David Nicholson, our current ICS Chair, has confirmed his intention not to seek the role of ICB Chair-designate. As such, the post is one of a number that NHS England and NHS Improvement are now launching an open recruitment process to fill.

    Details of the role are available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/non-executive-opportunities/2021/07/27/herefordshire-and-worcestershire-integrated-care-system-ics-chair/

    Whoever is successful in this process will be appointed as ICS independent chair and the NHS ICB chair designate, ready to take up the latter post from April 2022 should Parliament confirm the current plans.

    The next stage of this process will be the confirmation of ICB lead designates, with this process expected to conclude by the end of September.

    Thank you for your continued support for making integrated care a reality for the communities we serve, and I will keep you updated as preparations for statutory footing continue.


    Simon Trickett

    Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICS Chief Executive


    Sir David Nicholson

    Chair
    Herefordshire and Worcestershire STP

  • Better, more joined-up care in Herefordshire and Worcestershire - 19 March 2021

    NHS England has today confirmed that Herefordshire and Worcestershire will be designated as an Integrated Care System (ICS) from 1 April 2021, in line with expectations set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.

    The Government has subsequently proposed a White Paper that will be considered by Parliament and recommends that Integrated Care Systems become statutory NHS bodies in April 2022, replacing Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

    This is the culmination of many years of effort to build partnership working across the NHS, local authorities, the third sector and patient groups.

    Integrated Care Systems bring greater collaboration to all parts of the health and care system including GPs, hospitals, community care and social care, as well as physical and mental health services, county and district councils and the voluntary sector.

    Working together we will be better able to tackle health inequality, join up the care for those with multiple conditions, improve support for people with life-long illness and support children to lead healthy lives. Our patients will find it easier to access services, see more joined up care delivery and staff should find it easier to work with colleagues from other organisations.

    Since the emergence of Covid-19, health and care organisations across Herefordshire and Worcestershire have already been working even more closely together. For example, the vaccination programme has been a combination of efforts from the various parts of the local health and care system, many more GP and out-patient appointments have been delivered via video link with patients, while some tests previously done in hospital are now carried out by GPs saving patients journeys and reducing the risk to patients and staff of transmitting the disease.

    The establishment of an ICS across Herefordshire and Worcestershire now allows us to ensure that this approach to partnership working lasts beyond the current pandemic.

    We believe that we have a great foundation to make the transition to an ICS as smooth as it can be for our system, and most importantly for the population that we serve.


    We shall continue to keep you updated on developments.

    Simon Trickett
    Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICS Chief Executive


    Sir David Nicholson

    Chair
    Herefordshire and Worcestershire STP

  • Building a strong, integrated care system across Herefordshire and Worcestershire - 27 November 2020

    Dear Colleagues,

    Across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, we remain committed to joined up and integrated health and care services to better meet the needs of the local population and to improve outcomes and tackle inequalities as well as enhancing our own productivity.

    In September 2019, NHS England and Improvement made a number of recommendations for an NHS Bill, aimed at removing current legislative barriers to integration across health and social care bodies, fostering collaboration, and more formally joining up national leadership in support of our ambitions.

    Covid-19 is proving to be the biggest challenge the NHS has faced in its 72 years, but it has revealed many success stories – in particular collaboration and mutual aid between providers and joined up working based on common local understanding and a strong partnership effort.

    Yesterday, NHS England presented a paper at its Board meeting designed to accelerate the move to integrated care. The document also describes options for giving Integrated Care Systems a firmer footing in legislation likely to take effect from April 2022 (subject to Parliamentary decision).

    This proposal may see functions and resources at NHS nationally and regionally operating differently, with Integrated Care Systems taking greater accountability for these functions on a more formal basis. It would also see providers encouraged to work together across bigger footprints in Provider Collaboratives and much closer working with local government and the voluntary sector at what is known as place level in each of our two counties.

    The paper presents two options at present for enshrining Integrated Care Systems in legislation:

    • Option 1: a statutory committee model with an Accountable Officer that binds together current statutory organisations.
    • Option 2: a statutory corporate NHS body model that additionally brings CCG statutory functions into the ICS.

    The publication seeks views on the proposed options from all interested individuals and organisations. We will be discussing this in more detail with partners before submitting a response.

    While the pressures on the NHS at the moment are greater than they ever have been, we believe this proposal - however it develops - will build upon the great work already underway across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

    We have already established a single strategic commissioning function with the creation of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group this year and have a clear understanding of which services we wish to commission and arrange at locality, place, and system level. We have got some fantastic local provider alliances that have developed rapidly, particularly through the response to the Covid-19 demands and some very strong relationships underpinning those.

    We also now have a single provider of mental health services across the system, and we have got excellent partnerships and collaboratives in place across acute, community, mental health, and primary care providers and with our local Councils and other partners.

    We believe that we have a great foundation for either of the options above to be successful and we will make the transition to a fully integrated health and care system as smooth as it can be for our system and most importantly for the population that we serve.

    Simon Trickett
    Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICS Chief Executive


    Sir David Nicholson

    Chair
    Herefordshire and Worcestershire STP

This organisation ceased to exist on 30 June 2022, please visit our new website for NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board - Integrated Care Board :: Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care System (icb.nhs.uk)