Our vision, objectives and priorities

The Lancashire and South Integrated Care Board was formally established as a new statutory body on 1 July 2022, replacing the former eight clinical commissioning groups across Lancashire and South Cumbria.

The role of the ICB is to join up health and care services, improve people's health and wellbeing, and tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience and access across Lancashire and South Cumbria. We also oversee how money is spent and make sure health services work well and are of high quality.

Our vision

Our vision is to have a high quality, community-centred health and care system by 2035. ‘Community-centred’ means a focus on keeping our communities well rather than a 'sick care' model which we recognise currently. An emphasis on prevention, wellbeing and healthy communities rather than solely on a specific health issue and/or clinical visit of a patient. A shift towards delivering care in the home and community over a person’s lifetime, taking into account the context of family, community and the holistic person at the centre of the care and making best use of digital technology. Everything we do as a partnership is focused on improving the health and wellbeing of our population and to move towards a more equitable health and care system.

The best way to articulate our vision is through the eyes of our patients and members of our communities. Below are examples which represent common experiences we hear in Lancashire and South Cumbria and how our vision aims to support them better in the future:

Tommy was born into a family with problems of domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse. His mum was an alcoholic which led to his gran taking him in to stay with her. This meant he did not get taken into care but was known to services – he was on the edge of care.

He was not school ready when he needed to be - he could not speak well or use the toilet properly. This meant he struggled at school. He waited three years for an assessment for autism. He is often handed off to other teams and organisations and told he does not meet criterial to receive care and support. He left school, not in education, employment or training. He started to make poor health and life choices.

Our vision for Tommy: He would be supported by an integrated neighbourhood team when he was born because he was growing into a family that was high-risk. He has extra support in school and received coordinated care. He is seen quickly to check whether he has ASD. He does not have autism but he has needs and receives early help and support from services which are joined-up across local authorities and health. He is supported to get an apprenticeship. This leads to a job, positive aspirations and a better life chance.

Tommy’s gran, Maggie, is now 78. She is quite frail and she has multiple long-term conditions. She lives in an upstairs flat and children live away except for Tommy’s mum who is an alcoholic. She feels lonely and isolated.

She has people who look after her – her GP, district nurses and social care – but these are not joined up. She often misses health appointments because she has poor vision and cannot read the letters properly.

Our vision for Maggie: As she gets older, Maggie receives extra support from multi-disciplinary teams from local authority, voluntary sector and health when there is early detection for her multiple long-term conditions. These are managed through digital technology which she is supported to use by community partners. She receives care from a single team in a location where she can go for multiple assessments at the same time which are well coordinated and easy to access. Teams are supported by digital tools and shared care records. She was referred to a voluntary sector group by the neighbourhood team where they would take her out of the flat. She is part of a local group and dances meaning she did not feel isolated. Because Tommy is doing better, he visits every week.

ICB strategic objectives

Improve quality, including safety, clinical outcomes, and patient experience
To equalise opportunities and clinical outcomes across the area
Make working in Lancashire and South Cumbria an attractive and desirable option for existing and potential employees
Meet financial targets and deliver improved productivity
Meet national and locally determined performance standards and targets
To develop and implement ambitious, deliverable strategies

Joint Forward Plan strategic priorities

We must strengthen our foundations by changing how organisations work together and how the NHS provides services to improve our financial situation.
We must take urgent action to reduce the level of long-term disease, working with partners to prevent illness and reduce inequalities.
We must move care closer to home wherever possible, strengthening primary and community care and integrating health and care services.
We must make sure there is more consistent and high-quality care. We will standardise, network, and improve our pathways of care.
We must take targeted action to deliver world-class care for priority diseases and conditions, population groups and communities.