Chair's Blog

As I see it – the latest blog from Sue Symington Earlier this month, I embarked on a unique journey to Tesco on Market Street in Grimsby. My destination was not the grocery store’s shelves, but rather a cutting-edge medical facility – the NHS Targeted Lung Health Check mobile unit. This mobile marvel plays a … Read more

As I see it: The latest blog from Sue Symington The recent announcement that the NHS will be stepping down the COVID-19 incident marks a significant milestone as we continue to respond to the pandemic and its lasting impact. This very welcome news provides an opportunity to reflect on what has been a challenging three … Read more

Creating world class emergency care settings for patients and staff Urgent and Emergency care departments, often described as ‘the front door’ to acute hospital services, have had the most challenging few months. As I write, we are hoping that the peak of the winter has now passed, although experience tells us all that things can … Read more

The strength of partnerships working together to tackle NHS pressures The extraordinary pressures the NHS and its partner organisations have felt over the last few months are unprecedented. We have felt collectively ‘worried’ about the demand for health and care services, and ‘worried’ that, although our collective resources have been stretched to their limit, we … Read more

Providing the best possible care as the worst of winter approaches Despite the winter not yet fully biting, we the NHS and our partner organisations already feel the chill of winter, with pressures being felt in all corners of our geography. This chill is not the product of a lack of effort or compassion for … Read more

Harnessing the power of partnership to deliver better health services Our partnership, embodied in our Integrated Care System, will be measured by its ability to successfully work closely together, across all sectors, to provide and improve health and care services for all those we serve. Our partnership includes social care provided by local authorities, acute … Read more

Tackling the health impact of rising costs of living At the September meeting of the Integrated Care Board (ICB) we discussed the cost-of-living crisis. The board recognises that this crisis poses risk for Humber and North Yorkshire, for our communities, for our staff and for the health and wellbeing of those we serve. In particular, … Read more

The founding principle of the ICS is that collective, partnership working can join up thinking and action to make change. This is not August as we know it, in many respects. Its 30 degrees outside as I write this blog. For our health and care services providers, August feels more like January, and this leads … Read more