Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System

Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System
Name	Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System
Established	2022
Region	Lancashire and South Cumbria
Country	England
Type	Integrated care system

Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System is an NHS integrated care system serving parts of North West England, coordinating health and social care across urban and rural areas. It brings together NHS NHS England commissioners, acute hospital trusts such as Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, mental health providers like Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, community services including University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, local authorities such as Lancashire County Council and Cumbria County Council, alongside voluntary sector organisations including Age UK and Mind.

History

The system emerged from NHS policy reforms following the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the development of integrated care models advocated in the Five Year Forward View and NHS Long Term Plan, building on prior collaborations between trusts such as Royal Preston Hospital, Blackburn Royal Infirmary arrangements and Westmorland General Hospital partnerships. Early pilot integration drew on examples from the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and learning from the Better Care Fund, while working with national bodies including NHS England and NHS Improvement. Local programmes referenced initiatives from Public Health England and engaged with neighbouring systems like Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Merseycare NHS Trust during formation. The formal statutory ICS footprint was established in line with legislation following debates in the Parliament of the United Kingdom and consultations with clinical commissioning groups such as Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group predecessors.

Geography and Population Served

The ICS covers a diverse area spanning coastal towns such as Blackpool, market towns like Preston and Carlisle, and rural districts including Lancaster and the Lake District. Its population includes urban communities in Blackburn, industrial centres in Burnley and maritime communities in Barrow-in-Furness, across a patchwork of local authority areas such as Blackburn with Darwen and South Lakeland. The demographic profile includes ageing populations in areas like Morecambe and pockets of deprivation in boroughs such as Hyde and Pendle, requiring services across primary care networks centred on practices like Fleetwood Health Centre and community hubs linked with Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Governance and Organization

The ICS governance brings together statutory partners including NHS England, local authorities such as Blackpool Council and South Lakeland District Council, acute providers like Royal Lancaster Infirmary and specialised providers such as Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Board membership comprises leaders from Clinical Commissioning Group successor organisations, named executives drawn from trusts like University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, and elected councillors from county councils including Cumbria County Council. Committees oversee quality, finance and assurance with links to regulatory bodies such as Care Quality Commission and professional bodies including Royal College of General Practitioners and NHS Providers.

Services and Care Delivery

Service delivery integrates primary care networks involving GP practices such as St George's Medical Centre and community nursing through organisations like Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, with acute care provided by trusts including Blackpool Victoria Hospital and specialist pathways linked to centres such as Royal Preston Hospital. Mental health services collaborate with charities such as Mind and inpatient provision aligns with facilities at Rosemere Cancer Centre and community hubs modelled on initiatives like the Vanguard programme. Urgent and emergency care pathways coordinate ambulance services including North West Ambulance Service and ambulance trusts interacting with NHS 111 provision, while elective care pathways connect to regional specialist centres such as Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for tertiary services.

Partnerships and Integrated Working

The ICS works in partnership with higher education institutions such as University of Lancaster and University of Central Lancashire for workforce development, with research links to centres like NIHR and collaborations with voluntary organisations including Age UK, Citizens Advice and Samaritans. Cross-sector integration involves local enterprise partnerships like Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and transport bodies such as Transport for Lancashire, with shared digital programmes drawing on national initiatives led by NHS Digital and interoperability frameworks influenced by NHSX. Joint commissioning and pooled budgets have been developed with unitary authorities and NHS trusts, reflecting approaches used in places such as Nottinghamshire ICS and Greater Manchester ICS.

Performance and Outcomes

Performance monitoring references metrics used by Care Quality Commission inspections and national indicators from NHS England relating to waiting times, cancer pathways exemplified by Macmillan Cancer Support collaborations, and mental health access standards set by NHS England targets. Outcomes vary across the footprint, with improvements in integrated discharge models inspired by Discharge to Assess and challenges in elective backlog reductions paralleling national trends noted by Kings Fund analyses. Public health outcomes link to work by Public Health England and local directors of public health in authorities like Blackburn with Darwen.

Finance and Commissioning

Commissioning arrangements moved from clinical commissioning groups to ICS-led integrated commissioning, involving pooled budgets and place-based commissioning authorities engaging finance leads from trusts such as Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and councillors from Lancashire County Council. Financial oversight aligns with standards set by NHS England and audit by bodies such as the National Audit Office, with pressures arising from national funding settlements and local demographic demand comparable to other systems like South Yorkshire ICS. Strategic commissioning priorities include elective recovery, mental health investment and primary care transformation supported by capital programmes referenced in national spending reviews debated in the HM Treasury.

Category:Integrated care systems in England