Agenda item - NHS Reform

Report of the Chair of Sussex Integrated Care Board (copy attached).

8.1      This item was introduced by Stephen Lightfoot, Chair of the Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB).

8.2     Mr Lightfoot outlined aspects of NHS reforms and other measures including:

·       All ICBs required to make more than 50% savings in management costs by the end of the calendar year

·       Sussex ICB’s response to this has been to propose merging with Surrey Heartlands ICB. The merger plans have been approved, and an ICB Board in Common will be established by October 2025, with formal merger by April 2026

·       The merged Surrey & Sussex ICB will work across 5 localities, and will deliver separate Integrated Care Strategies for each county

·       The Sussex ICB is due to publish its commissioning intentions for the coming year in September, and will engage with the public if there are major service changes proposed

·       A new funding formula for ICBs will see Sussex funding reduced by around £200 million per year

·       ‘Fit for the Future’, the 10-year health plan for England has now been published. This provides a clear direction of travel for the NHS and aligns well with the priorities of the existing Sussex Integrated Care Strategy. The Plan will retain Health & Wellbeing Boards which will have additional responsibilities to prepare and champion Neighbourhood Health Plans

·       Substantial changes, including job losses, across NHS regulators. This includes the abolition of Healthwatch; Mr Lighfoot told the Board that he was disappointed by this decision and commended the Sussex Healthwatch organisations for all the valuable work they have done.

8.3      Alan Boyd responded to the point about Healthwatch, noting that there is a risk that we will lose independent patient voice, which has been a function of the system for many years, pre-dating Healthwatch. It is also hard to understand the rationale behind transferring health functions of Healthwatch to ICBs and social care functions to local authorities as this runs counter to integrated approaches to health and care.

8.4      RESOLVED – that the report be noted.