42 Integrated Care Systems (ICS) have now been operational across England for just over a year. Conceived as a means to plan and deliver joined-up health and care services, the statutory powers of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) were transferred to the Integrated Care Boards (ICB) and the statutory ascendancy of the Integrated Care Partnerships (ICP) last summer.

The state of integrated care systems 2022/23: riding the storm

Now, a report called ‘Riding the Storm’ has been published by the NHS Confederation, looking at the progress that local systems have made, any opportunities for further development and identifying areas where ICSs require “action and commitment from national partners”.

According to the report, feedback from ICS leaders is broadly positive about progress made by local systems. Partners within those systems are working collaboratively to set and deliver on their key priorities.  The report identifies barriers to progress which require action from government and national bodies in order to overcome them.  The top three barriers are staff shortages and the lack of an equivalent long-term workforce plan for social care; a lack of funding for social care; and NHS finances, including unexpected cuts to ICB running costs and an ineffective capital regime.

C.Co has worked with a number of ICS since their inception last year and we recognise the significant challenges they face in so many areas, especially with regard to the top three barriers to progress identified in the report. We strongly believe that collaborative leadership, combined with robust and responsible financial stewardship are absolutely critical to ensure ICSs’ ongoing viability and long-term stability too.

How can C.Co help?

We can help ICSs achieve these goals by working collaboratively with them, providing trusted capability and capacity to assess and evaluate where best to target their limited resources for maximum impact.

There are myriad ways in which our skilled and experienced team can help organisations withstand financial pressures and increase sustainability. Talk to us to find out more.

Read more about the report here: The state of integrated care systems 2022/23: Riding the storm