NHS Cheshire and Merseyside

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside
Name	NHS Cheshire and Merseyside
Formation	2016
Type	Integrated care system
Region served	Cheshire and Merseyside
Leader title	Chair
Leader name	Simon Stevens
Parent organisation	National Health Service

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside is an integrated care system established to coordinate health and care services across the Cheshire and Merseyside area, integrating local NHS trusts, clinical commissioning groups, and local authorities. It aims to align hospital services, community care, mental health provision, and primary care with public health strategies and social care priorities across urban and rural districts. The organisation interacts with national bodies and regional partners to plan service delivery, capital investment, workforce development, and population health improvement.

History

The system was formed amid national reforms following the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and regional consolidation influenced by initiatives such as the Five Year Forward View and the NHS Long Term Plan, linking legacy structures including former clinical commissioning group footprints and successor entities from NHS England. Its evolution involved collaboration between acute trusts like Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and mental health providers such as Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, as well as commissioning arrangements formerly held by bodies influenced by ministers such as Jeremy Hunt and advisers from The King's Fund. Major milestones include joint strategies shaped by reviews such as the Keogh Review and programmes responding to pressures seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organisation and governance

Governance brings together leaders from NHS foundation trusts, clinical commissioning successors, and local authorities including Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cheshire East Council, Liverpool City Council, Sefton Council, and Wirral Council. The board structure mirrors frameworks promoted by NHS England and arose during executive changes under figures such as Amanda Pritchard and predecessors associated with Monitor (NHS Foundation Trust regulator). Strategic decisions involve non-executive directors with experience drawn from institutions like University of Liverpool, University of Chester, and engagement with elected officials linked to constituencies such as Birkenhead (UK Parliament constituency), Warrington South (UK Parliament constituency), and Ellesmere Port and Neston (UK Parliament constituency). Accountability mechanisms reference statutes including the Care Act 2014 and oversight by regulators such as Care Quality Commission.

Population and geography served

The footprint covers metropolitan areas including Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and boroughs such as Halton and Warrington, plus unitary authorities like Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East. Demographics reflect contrasts between urban districts around Merseyside and rural zones near Cheshire Plain, with health determinants influenced by loci such as Port of Liverpool, transport hubs like Liverpool John Lennon Airport, and socioeconomic gradients observed in wards across authorities represented in parliamentary seats such as Altrincham and Sale West (UK Parliament constituency) and Knowsley (UK Parliament constituency). Population health priorities reference life expectancy trends seen in studies from Public Health England and inequalities documented by organisations including Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation.

Services and commissioning

Commissioning spans acute care provided by trusts including The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, and community and mental health services from providers such as Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Primary care networks incorporate general practice federations linked with training hubs like Health Education England and interface with urgent care services in collaboration with ambulance services such as North West Ambulance Service. Maternity, paediatric, cancer pathways, and specialised services coordinate with regional centres like Alder Hey Children's Hospital and cancer alliances modelled on frameworks from NHS Cancer Programme and specialist surgical services referenced in reviews by Royal College of Surgeons.

Performance and quality

Quality assessment is informed by inspections from Care Quality Commission, benchmarking by NHS Improvement, and analytical reports by bodies like Office for National Statistics and think tanks such as King's Fund. Performance metrics encompass waiting times tracked in datasets published by NHS England, emergency care pressures paralleling national trends highlighted after the Winter Crisis episodes, and outcomes for long-term conditions measured against standards from organisations like Royal College of Physicians and NICE. High-profile service changes have attracted scrutiny from local commissioners, MPs representing constituencies such as Liverpool Riverside (UK Parliament constituency), and campaign groups linked to hospitals and community services.

Finance and workforce

Financial planning aligns with allocations set by NHS England and scrutiny from auditors influenced by rules from the Public Accounts Committee and National Audit Office, with capital priorities comparable to schemes in other ICSs such as investment in estates associated with NHS Property Services. Workforce strategies address recruitment and retention challenges highlighted by NHS Employers, reliance on international recruitment routes overseen in part by the Home Office visa regulations, and training partnerships with universities including University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, and University of Chester. Staffing pressures around nursing and emergency medicine mirror national shortages debated in statements by professional bodies such as the Royal College of Nursing and British Medical Association.

Partnerships and strategic initiatives

Strategic initiatives include integrated care pathways developed with local authorities and stakeholders like Local Government Association and voluntary sector partners exemplified by Citizens Advice and Age UK, plus research collaborations with academic centres such as Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Merseycare Research Centre. Major programmes have targeted elective recovery aligned to national schemes under NHS England directives, digital transformation projects resonant with NHS Digital priorities, and public health campaigns coordinated with NHS Health Check and regional responses to crises referencing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-border collaborations engage neighbouring systems including Greater Manchester Combined Authority and trans-regional links to policy bodies in Wales and Scotland for specialised commissioning and shared learning.

Category:Health in North West England