Introduction

Integrated Care Systems: Guidance on the HEE and ICS Relationship

HEE may update this guidance during the 2021/22 transition year as the Health and Care Bill passes through Parliamentary stages to Royal Assent; as ICSs move towards statutory status and as NHSE&I guide that process and develop their Operating Model. We will engage with ICSs and other stakeholders and partners to continuously improve this guidance. This guidance forms part of a suite of documents making up our Operating Model.

Introduction

We have developed our Operating Model in response to the changes to the health and care system set out in the Health and Care Bill; in particular to the development of statutory Integrated Care Systems (ICSs).  Our Operating Model sets out how our business will be delivered through our national and regional teams. Our Regions will lead our collaborative relationship with ICSs. ICSs are positioned as the default system level through which we will conduct our business.

Our Operating Model is designed to ensure that we in HEE enable ICSs to plan and deliver joined up services for their local populations and to improve population health. It is also designed to ICSs to work collaborate with us in delivering:

• our primary duty to secure an effective system for the planning and delivery of education and training of healthcare workers;
• our duties relating to continuous improvement in quality of education and training, and health services; and
• our postgraduate medical and dental education provider responsibilities.

This guidance is part of the suite of documents making up our Operating Model. Its prime purpose (in Part 2) is to describe the key areas of activity in which ICSs and HEE will work together.  These areas of activity are categorised according to the 10 ICS People function outcome areas that NHSE&I have stated ICSs are expected to deliver, as set out in Building strong integrated care systems everywhere: guidance on the ICS people function Version 1, August 2021.

Part 1 describes an integrated ‘all levers, all levels’ planning framing which describes how workforce planning can be integrated with population health and service and financial planning; which is positioned in the ICS People function guidance (p10) as a significant role for ICSs, regional and national teams.  This enables the key areas of workforce and education activity in which HEE and ICSs will work; along with other activity to be framed as it relates to system goals and service need.

We look forward to building on this guidance in our work with ICSs over the implementation period to statutory change, and beyond.

Dr Navina Evans

Chief Executive

David Farrelly

Chief Operating Officer