Agenda item

The Chairman invited Eleanor Law, Policy Adviser, to introduce the update.

Eleanor introduced the report which provided Board members with an update on the joint meeting of the People and Places, City Regions, and Community Health and Wellbeing Board Lead Members, and the LGA’s response to the NHS England and NHS Improvement consultation on Integrated Care Systems (ICS). She thanked Lead Members for their comments and feedback on the LGAs consultation response before Christmas. She confirmed that she would submit a further update report to a future meeting of the People and Places Board, should the NHS or the Department of Health provide further information re the NHS bill.

Members made the following comments:

• There is a risk of losing some of the collaboration work that currently exists. We need to emphasise the significance of partnership working and joint decision making with the NHS.
• The vaccination process in relation to COVID-19 is great for working in partnership with NHS. We do have a lot to offer at a local level that can help and support the NHS.
• My experience locally is that the NHS and local authorities have worked extremely well together in terms of the COVID-19 crisis response and it has opened many doors that were previously closed to us (e.g.: data sharing, ICS). Although there is a lack of transparency and accountability, it’s becoming more difficult to engage with local NHS groups. Equal partnerships are very important and it’s to the benefit of the NHS and local NHS professionals to engage with communities effectively to re-enforce transparency and accountability.
• The role of the Health and Wellbeing Boards must be paramount, and we cannot allow, with ICS, that role to be diminished.
• In relation to Scrutiny, councils need to have more powers and reports must arrive in a timely manner to ensure that accountability is passed on and can be acted on.

Decision:

Members noted the report.

Actions:

Officers to continue to work with councils and NHS England/NHS Improvement to look in detail at options proposed and continue to update members on the outcome of the consultation.

Officers to ensure that ‘Health Devolution’ becomes a standing item on the agenda to address ongoing issues (to include information re the NHS bill once it is received from the NHS or the Department of Health).