PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Integrated Care Systems (19 July 2021)

Guidance is being drafted to support the development of integrated care systems (ICSs). The role of ICSs is to align action between partners to improve outcomes and tackle inequalities, enhance productivity, make best use of resources and strengthen local communities.

Each integrated care board (ICB) and their partner local authorities will be required to establish an integrated care partnership (ICP), bringing together primary care, social care, public health and others where appropriate. The member of the ICB drawn from primary medical services providers should bring perspectives from all primary care partners. The ICP will be tasked with promoting partnership arrangements and developing a plan to address the health, social care and public health needs of their system. The ICB and local authorities will have regard to that plan when making decisions.

In support of these new arrangements commissioning of primary care functions will be delegated to ICBs, whilst national contractual arrangements, which currently include promoting and enabling self-care by community pharmacy, will continue to be developed at a national level.