Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are getting an integrated care system
The NHS has made the announcement, with the target date of April 2021
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly are going to become an integrated care system.
NHS England and Improvement has made the announcement, ahead of the April 2021 target date.
Integrated care systems (ICSs) are partnerships bringing NHS organisations together with local authorities and other partners to plan and deliver joined up care which better meets the needs of their population.
Since the emergence of Covid-19, health and care organisations have been working even more closely together. For example, health and care teams have moved into shared offices to form community coordination centres, working ever more closely with GPs and other local primary care colleagues. These centres have created a simple referral process to ensure people’s needs are met quickly by the right health or care professional, making the best possible use of our shared workforce.
“This is an historic day for all those who live in, work and visit Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We have been talking about joining up health and care for years.
"Following a robust assessment by NHS England/Improvement, becoming an ICS is a demonstration that our organisations are demonstrably putting aside their individual interests and working together to improve the health and wellbeing of local people, delivering care our local communities and staff can be proud of, and as a result delivering better value for every pound we receive."
"Our ICS designation is an important step on our journey as a maturing partnership system working together, where our focus is on better patient pathways that span the services of all our partners as needed, and also the need for better preventative services."
John Govett, independent chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Health and Care Partnership
“When we set out on our journey to become an Integrated Care System, there were significant challenges across our health and care system. We have tackled these issues together. Of course, we still have challenges, but we have a plan to address these in partnership. The way in which we have worked during the pandemic is testament to our determination to use our resources flexibly across health and care to do the right thing. There are numerous examples of where together we have delivered real improvements and made investments which will benefit people now and in future. Much closer working with GPs has enabled us to deliver service change which is tailored to the needs of local communities.”
Phil Confue, chief executive of Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and ICS system lead
Recent developments have included the opening of the Sowenna unit, providing inpatient mental health treatment for young people in county for the first time, realising Cornwall’s ambition to provide centres of excellence.
Other projects already underway include a new women and children’s centre due to open at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in 2024 to further drive new models of care for paediatrics, neonatal, maternity and gynaecology care, and provide another centre of excellence for family and children’s health. Early investment has also been received into services to support people over the age of 65 as a result of confidence in the way partners are already working together. This will help support older people in their own homes and avoiding them unnecessarily going into hospital.
A specialist mental health nurse has been appointed on the Isles of Scilly, where there are also plans to redevelop the hospital care home and GP surgery into a combined health and care hub.
“One of the most exciting developments from our new ways of working together is the way GPs are increasingly seen as the local leaders of our health and care services. Nowhere has this been more evident than in our response to COVID. Indeed, local GP colleagues are now taking another step forward and providing even more care around care homes. The input of GPs means we have a system leadership team connected to grass roots frontline delivery and local communities where GPs and their health and care colleagues are working with voluntary sector partners and Healthwatch. All partners are united by a common vision to improve the health and well-being of the population of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and reduce inequalities, making the very best of our collective resources.”
Dr Iain Chorlton, chair of NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group and a local GP