Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care System
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| Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care System | |
|---|---|
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| Name | Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care System |
| Formation | 2022 |
| Type | Integrated care system |
| Region served | Leicester, Leicestershire, Rutland |
| Leader title | Chair |
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care System is an NHS integrated care system covering the ceremonial county of Leicestershire and the unitary authorities of Leicester and Rutland. It brings together NHS trusts, clinical commissioning groups, local authorities and third-sector organisations to plan and deliver health and care services across an urban centre and surrounding towns and rural areas including Hinckley, Melton Mowbray and Oakham. The ICS coordinates acute, community and primary care providers including specialist services hosted by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, linking with academic partners such as University of Leicester and regional bodies like NHS England and East Midlands Ambulance Service.
History
The ICS was established in the wave of statutory integrated care system formations following the NHS Long Term Plan and the Health and Care Act 2022, succeeding arrangements operated by legacy clinical commissioning groups and strategic health authorities such as the former Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Rutland Strategic Health Authority. Its antecedents include partnerships formed around major NHS organisations: Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield Hospital, and Leicester General Hospital under University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, and community provider reforms involving Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. Historic local governance links extended to county and district councils including Leicestershire County Council, Rutland County Council, Leicester City Council, and unitary administrations in places like Oadby and Wigston and Blaby District. The ICS built on collaborative programmes with higher education institutions such as De Montfort University and research networks including the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
Geography and population served
The ICS footprint covers the unitary authority of Leicester, the ceremonial county of Leicestershire and the county of Rutland, encompassing urban wards such as Evington and Fosse, market towns including Loughborough and Hinckley, and rural parishes around Uppingham and Melton Mowbray. The population includes diverse communities linked to migration patterns involving destinations like Leicester Market and areas represented in parliamentary constituencies such as Leicester East and Rutland and Melton. Transport arteries within the area include the M1 motorway, A6 road (England), and rail services via Leicester railway station, influencing patient flows to specialist centres such as Royal Derby Hospital and regional referral hubs in Nottingham and Birmingham.
Governance and organisational structure
Governance comprises a statutory integrated care board accountable to NHS England and an integrated care partnership bringing together Leicestershire County Council, Rutland County Council, Leicester City Council, NHS provider trusts including University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, and primary care networks represented by Royal College of General Practitioners members in the area. Board membership includes executive leads drawn from organisations such as East Midlands Ambulance Service and representatives from specialist bodies like Public Health England (now UK Health Security Agency successor structures), with non-executive oversight informed by local MPs from constituencies such as Leicester South and Charnwood. Sub-committees align around quality, finance and workforce with links to professional regulators including General Medical Council and workforce planning bodies exemplified by Health Education England.
Commissioning and service delivery
The ICS commissions acute services from providers such as University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and community services from organisations including Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and independent social care providers contracted by local authorities. Primary care provision is organised through general practices participating in primary care networks and federations that engage with national frameworks like the Five Year Forward View. Specialist commissioning spans tertiary services hosted at Glenfield Hospital and cross-boundary arrangements with specialist centres such as Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust for complex paediatrics and Royal Brompton Hospital-linked cardiology pathways. The ICS also manages elective recovery programmes, urgent and emergency care coordination with East Midlands Ambulance Service and winter resilience planning alongside neighbouring systems including the Derby and Derbyshire ICS.
Performance and outcomes
Performance monitoring uses NHS operational standards including NHS Constitution for England targets for waiting times, referral-to-treatment and cancer waits; outcomes reporting incorporates indicators from Public Health England-derived datasets and Clinical Commissioning Group legacy dashboards. Performance challenges reflect demand pressures seen across NHS England with elective backlogs, urgent care pressures at Leicester Royal Infirmary and workforce shortages like national trends captured by Health Foundation and King's Fund analyses. Quality frameworks involve Care Quality Commission inspection regimes applied to trusts and care providers, with outcome improvement programmes linked to research partnerships at University of Leicester and audit frameworks such as National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance implementation.
Partnerships and collaboration
The ICS collaborates with academic partners including University of Leicester and De Montfort University, voluntary sector organisations such as Leicestershire and Rutland Citizens Advice, social care providers regulated by Care Quality Commission, and regional bodies like East Midlands Councils. Cross-sector initiatives include population health programmes aligned with NHS England priorities, joint commissioning with local authorities, and research collaborations involving the National Institute for Health and Care Research Clinical Research Network East Midlands. Strategic links extend to neighbouring local enterprise partnerships such as Leicester and Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership and regional resilience arrangements with Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service.
Funding and financial management
Funding streams derive from allocations by NHS England augmented by local authority contributions and specific grants for programmes such as integrated neighbourhood teams and capital schemes. Financial governance utilises statutory financial controls, reporting obligations to NHS England and audit oversight by bodies including the National Audit Office and external auditors regulated under Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. Financial pressures reflect national NHS funding constraints and local cost drivers including acute demand at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and social care expenditure pressures experienced by Leicestershire County Council and Rutland County Council.
Category:Integrated care systems in England