Abstract
Introduction: We need to change how we plan, manage, and deliver our health and wellbeing services in Northern Ireland to meet the changing demands of our population and improve outcomes - ICS NI is our opportunity to do things differently.
ICS NI provides a new commissioning framework, one built on partnership and collaboration within Health and Social Care (HSC) and between other sectors and organisations.
Key to this approach is seeking to harness not just the strengths of our health and social care sector but also looking beyond to what can be achieved when we work in partnership with the voluntary and community sector, with local government and other statutory partners, and with our service users.
This includes:
- Improved integration within the HSC with a focus on removing duplication, improving efficiency, and delivering coordinated, integrated care; and
- Working both regionally and locally with wider partners, adopting a population health approach to maximise available resources, placing a focus on prevention to improve population health outcomes.
The strategic direction will be set by a Strategic Outcomes Framework (SOF) consisting of a suite of population-level health and wellbeing outcomes supported by a series of key indicators.
What engagement has taken place? In designing and developing the elements of ICS NI, we have adopted a co-production approach, with key stakeholders from across the HSC, local councils, community and voluntary sectors, and service users and carers integrated and embedded within our programme structures as well as through bespoke targeted engagement. Broader system engagement has also been undertaken through various means such as targeted consultation, webinars, and wider communications. These approaches have helped secure widespread support for the proposed model.
The development of the overarching Strategic Outcomes Framework (SOF) saw the development of a bespoke engagement programme to co-produce strategic outcome statements with contributions from their respective engagement platforms and fora.
Results to date: A local partnership has been in operation in the Southern Area from May 2023, testing the practicalities of the design of an element of ICS NI, the Area Integrated Partnership Board (AIPB). Key learning from the test is anticipated in late 2023/early 2024 which will help inform refinement of the model.
The strategic focus on integration and collaboration has already seen tangible examples of system working including the recent development of a Winter Plan which has been the culmination of a joined-up effort across primary, community and secondary care.
Work is also ongoing to establish multi-disciplinary service planning teams which will be at the core of the model driving forward the integrated agenda.
Next steps: It is the intention to establish the model across NI in 2024. A phased approach will be taken to roll out five AIPBs and a Regional ICS Partnership Forum from April to June 2024. Induction of members will take place over the summer months, moving into operation in September.