A third of specialised services delegated to ICB from 1 April to join up care

On 1 April 2024, 59 specialised services were delegated to Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB from NHS England (NHSE).

Specialised services support people with a range of rare and complex conditions. They often involve treatments provided to patients with rare cancers, genetic disorders or complex medical or surgical conditions.

Specialised services are not available in every local hospital because they have to be delivered by specialist teams of doctors, nurses and other health professionals who have the necessary skills and experience.

Before 1 April, all 177 specialised services were planned nationally and regionally by NHSE. Now, the responsibility for a third of those services has been transferred to Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB.

The main reason for moving to ICB-led commissioning is to improve patient health and care, by supporting joined up care, and providing the opportunity to focus on population management, improving the quality of service, tackling health inequalities and ensuring best value.

This is part of the long-term plan to give integrated care systems (in our case Lancashire and South Cumbria) responsibility for managing local population health needs, tackling inequalities and addressing fragmented pathways of care.

You can find out more about specialised services and see the full list of specialised services that Lancashire and South Cumbria is now responsible for by visiting our dedicated webpage:

LSC Integrated Care Board: Specialised services