23 February 2018

Integrated Care Systems - Refreshing NHS Plans for 2018/19

Refreshing NHS Plans for 2018/19
NHS England 2 February 2018
  • This guidance builds on guidance set for 2017/19 to enable organisations to continue to work together through STPs to develop system-wide plans that reconcile and explain how providers and commissioners will collaborate to improve services and manage within their collective budgets. The guidance outlines "additional freedoms and flexibilities" which will support the most advanced Integrated Care Systems to lead this process.
  • NHS England are now using the term ‘Integrated Care System’ as a collective term for both devolved health and care systems and for those areas previously designated as ‘shadow accountable care systems’. An Integrated Care System is where health and care organisations voluntarily come together to provide integrated services for a defined population. (page12)
  • The guidance is accompanied by revised clinical commissioning group allocations for 2018/19.
Extract from p12:
4 We see Integrated Care Systems as key to sustainable improvements in health and care by:
• creating more robust cross-organisational arrangements to tackle the systemic challenges facing the NHS;
• supporting population health management approaches that facilitate the integration of services focused on populations that are at risk of developing acute illness and hospitalisation;
• delivering more care through re-designed community-based and homebased services, including in partnership with social care, the voluntary and community sector; and
• allowing systems to take collective responsibility for financial and operational performance and health outcomes.

Technical Guidance for Refreshing NHS Plans 2018/19
NHS England 23 February 2018