Agenda item

The Board received a presentation by Ailsa Leighton, Acting Director of Strategy & Delivery, South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), which outlined the up-to-date position with regard to progress in the development of the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Strategy.

Ailsa began by outlining the national planning context for 2022/23 and beyond, including the timeframe for developing the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) Strategy, the ICB 5 year Joint Forward Plan, and the ICB 2 year Operational Plans.  It was noted that there was a very short timescale for drafting the Integrated Care Strategy, which had to be published by the end of December 2022.  Ailsa then summarised the statutory requirements in developing the Integrated Care Strategy, which included the need for broad engagement with local Healthwatch organisations and people who live and work in the area.  The Board noted the work that had been undertaken locally on a South Yorkshire level, and were given details of the emerging vision for the Strategy, together with the shared outcomes and ambitions.  With regard to the next steps, it was noted that there would be further engagement work undertaken in November/December, with the final draft Strategy being considered at the ICP meeting on 20^th December 2022.  Work would also commence on the ICB five year Joint Forward Plan. 

The presentation concluded by asking the Board to consider the following questions:-

• Does the early thinking on the Integrated Care Strategy for South Yorkshire feel right?
• Do the shared outcomes and areas identified to go further, faster feel right?
• How do we ensure our Doncaster residents are actively engaged in this approach?

During general discussion, members recognised the need for a very local approach in engaging with residents on the Strategy, and a clear message explaining how the Strategy would add value to their lives.  It was also acknowledged that this was just the start of the journey in terms of engagement.

In response to a comment by Richard Parker regarding the need to be clear on the short, medium and long term ambitions, Ailsa Leighton stated that the five year joint forward plan would be key in this, as there was an expectation that this would focus on actions to be taken in Year 1 and Year 2 in particular, so she felt it was important to get that right.

The Board discussed various other issues linked to the Strategy, including the need to avoid duplication and improve efficiency in the delivery of services, the extent to which people’s behaviour and lifestyles in relation to their health and wellbeing were a matter of personal choice, and the need for targeted, adequate resourcing to be provided where the need was.

Following subsequent discussion, the Chair highlighted the following points/observations to be fed back to the ICP working group:-

• The need for clear and meaningful engagement with stakeholders, patients and the public, and to ensure that all communities and individuals were reached in the consultation on the Strategy was of key importance;
• A strengthened focus on prevention and early diagnosis was to be welcomed;
• An honest conversation was needed between all sides in recognising that more resources would be needed if the Strategy was to be delivered on a local level;
• The Chair hoped that the final Strategy would reflect the contributions and roles of each partner organisation, and expressed the view that, in future, there needed to be a move towards co-production with the voluntary sector, and not just working closely with it.
• The Chair felt that there should also be recognition in the Strategy of the importance of people feeling happy in their day-to-day lives from a mental health and wellbeing perspective.
• Dr Rupert Suckling undertook to feed back the comments from today’s meeting to the ICP working group and also confirmed that updated outcomes would be circulated to Board members in due course.

RESOLVED to:

1)     Note the guidance on the preparation of Integrated Care Strategies;

2)     Note the requirement that the Strategy will be published by December 2022; and

3)     Note the up to date position as presented at the meeting.