Core Activities

The five areas of core activity in our relationship with ICSs (and units within/across them including organisations, neighbourhoods, places, provider collaboratives) focus on respective and collective accountabilities and important roles and responsibilities in carrying out work activity. These areas serve as prompts for the relationship to ensure, for example, that we actively collaborate on strategies and plans to ensure they are coherent and represent a shared reality, such that they are deliverable.  They also enable a focus on or within the areas to demonstrate delivery, impact; for example across improvement initiatives either led by us or with our involvement. The five areas are:

1. Develop and implement strategies and plans
2. Support and develop people and systems
3. Guide expectations
4. Deliver and support improvement
5. Assure accountability

The diagram included in the Operating Model shows the relationship and interaction between the activities of ICSs and HEE operating both nationally and regionally as an upside down triangle, with three horizontal sections.  In the top section, ICSs are shown including their ‘sub’ elements of NHS organisations, non-NHS partners, neighbourhoods, places and provider collaboratives.  ICSs are shown in the top and largest part of the triangle to show our relationship with ICS as our default relationship with the wider system as described elsewhere in this Operating Model.  There is then a small space between the ICSs section and the next two HEE sections, showing that ICSs and HEE are separate bodies.

In the middle section, HEE Regions are then shown with two way arrows in and out of the ICS section demonstrating HEE Regions’ leadership role in the relationship with ICSs and ICSs’ influence on HEE investment and activity.

HEE National is then shown in the lower part of the triangle with a dotted line between this section and the HEE Regions section.  This demonstrates the interrelationship between HEE National directorates and programmes, and HEE Regions.   

The separate sections have descriptors next to the diagram as follows:

ICSs:

ICSs serve four fundamental purposes:

• Improving population health and healthcare
• Tackling unequal access and outcomes
• Enhancing productivity and value for money
• Help the NHS to support broader social and economic development

HEE Regions:

HEE’s regional role is to:

• Lead HEE’s integrated voice; convening and collaborating with/ within/ between ICSs
• Integrate and influence national strategy and planning with local service and health considerations
• Determine the ‘how’ with ICSs to deliver on national outcomes and expectations
• Lead regional level governance and relationships, e.g. Regional People Boards and regional NHSE&I
• Provide support to and develop ICSs to continuously improve 

HEE National:

Nationally HEE’s role is to:

• Develop and agree national strategy and plans, educational and quality standards, outcomes and priorities
• Lead and manage national business and enabling functions and programmes
• Lead and represent HEE with Government, and convene and collaborate nationally with stakeholders and partners
• Make the case to government for investment and allocate resources
• Lead and oversee HEE’s Operating Model as a learning system delivering collaborative accountability and value