NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) held its first official meeting today (Friday 1 July 2022). This now sees the ICB as the organisation with responsibility of local NHS functions and budgets for 1.7million people, across a region which includes the cities of Hull and York and the large rural areas across East Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire.
The ICB has been established as part of plans set out in the Health and Care Act 2022 to place Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) on a statutory footing, to further empower them to better join up health and care services, improve population health and reduce health inequalities.
The ICB will now be a key part of the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, which is one of the 42 ICSs across England. Other partners include NHS providers, local authorities, health and care providers and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations.
Stephen Eames CBE, Chief Executive of the ICB said: “The establishment of the ICB is an important milestone. The creation of one single NHS statutory body across the region will allow us to lead on further collaboration and build on the good work undertaken by partners over the last six years.”
“We now have an opportunity for the Health and Care Partnership to continue working with as partners across health, social care and the voluntary sector, to better integrate services improve the overall population health across Humber and North Yorkshire.
“To do this, we need also to tackle the inequalities that exist across the region, in terms of health outcomes, access to services, and the experience received. We will also work to enhance the quality and improve productivity of local services, ensuring the local population receive the best value from their health and care services.”
“The health needs and aspirations of our populations are best met locally in the place they live and work. This is why we will also closely work with local leaders in the six places we cover: East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and York.
“We will work together as equals with shared purpose and willing to think, plan and work together to continually develop a sustainable health and care system.”
Further information regarding Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, and the role of the ICB, can be found here or via the ICS FAQs.