ICBs bring health and care organisations together in a new way with a greater emphasis on collaboration and shared responsibility for the health of the local population. They present a real opportunity to focus on more joined-up services by integrating care, reducing handoffs, tackling fragmentation and variations in care and outcomes, whilst improving population health and outcomes.
The core functions of an ICB include:
- Planning to meet population health needs
- Allocating resources
- Ensuring that services are in place to deliver against ambitions
- Facilitating the transformation of services
- Coordinating and improving people and culture development
- Overseeing delivery of improved outcomes for the population
The Integrated Care Board (ICB) in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent is responsible for the health and care of 1.1 million people across a geographical area of 1,048 miles. The ICB is aligned with two upper-tier local authorities, Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent Council.
The population is diverse with complex health and care needs, comprising both rural and urban areas, extremes of affluence, deprivation, as well as significant health inequalities.
For more information about Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent ICB, please visit www.staffsstoke.icb.nhs.uk.