Agenda item

This report provides an update to the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWBB) regarding the work of the York Health and Care Partnership (YHCP), progress to date and next steps.

The report is for information and discussion and does not ask the Health and Wellbeing Board to respond to recommendations or make any decisions.

The Executive Director of Communications, Marketing and Media Relations, NHS Humber & North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Invited the Interim Director of Place, NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership to assist her in presenting the item and answering questions.

The Executive Director of Communications, Marketing and Media Relations, NHS Humber & North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership summarised the minutes of YHCP meetings noting that the children's plan which was draft at the time of being presented to the committee had now been approved by the partnership.

She also noted the restructure regarding the abolition of NHS England and the reform of the Integrated Care Board, due to delays surrounding the pre-election and bank holiday period this was all very new information but she highlighted that Humber and North Yorkshire ICB needed to make a reduction to costs of 47% with a revised allocation for Humber and North Yorkshire ICB of around £35million. The ICB would go back to being more of a strategic commissioner, setting out the strategy to improve population health outcomes and commissioning services and other activities to support this, rather than being involved in the delivery. She added that they would need to submit a plan by the end of May 2025.

The Interim Director of Place, NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership explained that the ICB Executive intended to continue to put existing agreements in place because this anchored its intended plans on a local level, even considering the national changes. He said that the report described the ways the ICB sought to go about doing this, and legal teams from the local authority and health had recently finished those documents for York and they were going through the final stages of ICB Executive approval.

The Corporate Director of Adults and Integration emphasised its support for the ICB, noting that taking an effective 50% cut to running costs must be extremely challenging and stating that they wished to support local citizens, particularly those who may be concerned that their healthcare or jobs could be threatened by these changes. Taking £35m from any system and will not lead to things getting better, and this was about mitigation rather than improvement.

The Chief Executive, York CVS noted the appointment of the new acting chair of the ICB, Jason Stamp who was previously the collaborative chair of Humber and North Yorkshire Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE), stating that this was particularly positive news for the voluntary sector.

The Executive Director of Communications, Marketing and Media Relations, NHS Humber & North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership emphasised that the focus was on driving better outcomes through partnership working, and this would be a fundamental thread moving forward, with an emphasis on improving population health.

The Director of Public Health noted that the national report focused on a number of medical areas, but omitted areas such as social care, integration, and SEND. It would be important to secure these at a local level due to the high local authority overlap.

The Corporate Director of Childrens and Education noted challenges that national safeguarding practice was not standardised and a strong systems practice needed to be maintained. Multi Agency Child Protection teams were presented by challenges by new legislation in Education.

The Manager, Healthwatch York suggested it was concerning that the public were barely getting to know what the role of the ICB was before it was being defunded.

Cllr Webb suggested that the public were primarily focused on getting their appointment, not being educated about ICBs. How are changes communicated with this board? He emphasised that the focus on children in the report was welcome.

Cllr Runciman agreed that while the focus should always be on delivering people’s appointments, public promotion of what the ICB could commission was appropriate.

The Executive Director of Communications, Marketing and Media Relations, NHS Humber & North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership responded that the YCHP were committed to communicating with the board, and there was ambition to set a foundation for a ten year plan which would necessitate a broader conversation with the public.

Resolved:   That the Board note the report of the YHCP.

Reason:     So that the Board were kept up to date on the work of the YHCP, progress to date and next steps.