The way health and care works across Sussex is changing in July 2022
From the 1st July 2022, changes set out in the Health and Care Act will come into effect.
These will see two new statutory entities created, with health and care organisations coming together as the Health and Care Assembly, and a new NHS organisation called NHS Sussex and new partnerships of health and care organisations working locally (Integrated Care Systems).
For a video explaining the changes please click below.
The changes have been designed to help:
- Support people to live for longer in good health.
- Make sure disadvantaged communities get the care they need.
- Improve people’s experience of using health and care services.
- Better support health and care staff.
- Make better use of the resources available.
What are integrated Care Systems?
Integrated Care Systems (ICS) are partnerships of organisations that come together to plan and deliver joined up health and care services.
Each ICS will include an Integrated Care Board (ICB) and an Integrated Care Partnership (ICP)
- An Integrated Care Board (ICB) will replace local Clinical Commissioning Groups as a statutory NHS organisation, responsible for developing a plan for meeting the health needs of the population, managing the NHS budget and arranging for the provision of health services in the ICS area.
- An Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) as a statutory committee formed of partners concerned with improving the care, health and wellbeing of the population, including representatives of the ICB and local authorities with membership determined locally. The partnership produces an integrated care strategy to meet the health, public health, and social care needs of the system, it does not commission services.
The purpose of an ICS is to bring partner organisations together to:
- improve outcomes in population health and healthcare
- tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience and access
- enhance productivity and value for money
- help the NHS support broader social and economic development.
For an Easy read briefing on Integrated Care click here.
More information on integrated care can be found on the NHS website here.
What is happening in Sussex?
The ‘Sussex Health and Care System’ is being developed by making three important changes:
New way of working across Sussex for organisations
A wide range of organisations with an interest in health and care will come together regularly as the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) to be known as the ‘ Sussex Health and Care Assembly’ to make sure the needs of Sussex people are being met.
This includes the NHS, Local Authorities, Healthwatch, the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector, and local Universities. They will help develop and oversee a plan for how the health and care across Sussex can be maintained and improved, based on local need.
New way of working for the local NHS
An Integrated Care Board (ICB) to be known as ‘NHS Sussex’ will become a new organisations that will look to improve the way the NHS plan and pay for local services, and support local NHS organisations to give people the care they need.
New way of working for local populations
The ‘health and care partnerships’ is being created, made up of organisations across the local authority areas that will work closer together to support communities to stay healthy and get the support, care and treatment they need.
At a very local level, groups of GP practices will continue to work closer together with community and mental health services, and the Voluntary Community Sector Enterprises (VCSE), to support the wide-ranging health and care needs of communities.
Want to know more?
For more information about the changes including a frequently asked questions page and a jargon buster, click here.
