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Is the ICS an organisation or legal entity?

Like other Integrated Care Systems (ICS') in the country, by April 2022 we expect to be working within a new legal framework (subject to the current legislative process).

Until this time, each partner within the ICS is accountable to the public through its own statutory arrangements but all are committed as a collective to be open and transparent in our work.

Organisations in the ICS agree to take shared responsibility (in ways that are consistent with individual legal obligations) for how we use our collective resources to improve quality of care and health outcomes.

There is a range of groups where partners come together at a System level. It gives both space and focus for partnership working amongst NHS partners and NHS partnership working with Local Authority colleagues and key stakeholders.

Partners are now working together to establish ways of working throughout the ‘transition’ year 2021/22, which includes developing and agreeing a ‘Health and Care Compact’ and terms of reference for the new Health and Care Partnership (H&CP). The H&CP brings together the NHS, local government and partners and will support integration and develop a plan to address the systems’ health, public health and social care needs.  

ICS’ will also comprise an ICS NHS Body which will be responsible for the day to day running of the ICS and guidance on setting these up is expected in the summer of 2021.

The current SYB ICS governance works alongside the governance of SYB’s:

  • Statutory organisations: e.g. NHS Foundation Trusts, NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, Local Authorities
  • Committees and Boards that operate in Place: e.g. Health and Wellbeing Boards, Overview and Scrutiny Committees, CCG and Local Authority Joint Commissioning Committees
  • Collaborative forums, regulators and arm’s length bodies which operate at a System level (e.g. Joint Committee of CCGs, Acute Hospitals Committees in Common, Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Mental Health Alliance and the Combined Authorities).

For more details about the future plans for ICS' in England please read the 'Integrating care: Next steps to building strong and effective integrated care systems across England' plan by NHS England and NHS Improvement. The document provides a clear roadmap for ICSs from April 2021.

Working Arrangements

South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Integrated Care System (SYB ICS) has evolved from a Sustainability and Transformation Partnership in January 2016, an Accountable Care System in April 2017, to then becoming one of the first and most advanced ICS systems in England.

The governance is being reviewed during the transition year but ways of working currently include:

The Health Oversight Board (HOB) and Integrated Assurance Committee (IAC) provide assurance on the collective performance of the system back to NHS England and Improvement (NHS E/I) and to member organisations. They are predominantly NHS focused.

The Health Executive Group (HEG) is the executive group which oversees collective performance, agrees the application of transformation funding in line with strategic direction and monitors system wide transformation programmes.

The Collaborative Partnership Board (CPB) is a guiding coalition, shaping strategy for health and care across SYB (covers the strategy of ICS members). Not decision making and wider than NHS partners. This forum will be replaced by the new Health and Care Partnership and its last meeting took place in May 2021.