Cambridgeshire County Council, Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are coterminous with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP), which is developing into an integrated care system (ICS).
Both local authorities have been closely involved in the work of the STP, and the health and wellbeing boards (HWBs) recognised that it would be helpful to consider system-wide issues together. They commissioned the LGA to undertake a development session, and subsequently agreed to work towards formalising joint working by establishing joint sub-committees of the HWBs. These will cover issues that are relevant to both areas, such as wider system integration or prevention. The joint HWB sub-committees will be able to discharge agreed functions of both boards and will have delegated decision-making authority.
During development of the joint HWB sub-committees, the HWBs have used interim joint arrangements to agree several measures to support future joint working:
- establishing a system-wide joint strategic needs assessment core dataset, so that data for the STP footprint appears together
- agreeing to develop a system-wide joint health and wellbeing strategy (until now there have been two separate strategies)
- inviting the LGA to conduct a peer review of the local health and care system.
“It is helpful to work together to understand the whole population of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and the sub-groups within this – there are significant differences in geographies and levels of affluence and deprivation in the area. This means we can tackle big-system challenges as well as focusing on specific local issues. In the coming months we will be looking together at how the integrated care system (ICS) and the health and wellbeing boards (HWBs), working jointly, can best collaborate without duplication. The HWB joint arrangements are likely to have a role in oversight of how commissioning plans align across the ICS footprint and how resources are distributed. Also, in looking at how a strategic approach to prevention can be further developed – perhaps involving the police and crime commissioner, for instance.”
Dr Gary Howsam, Clinical Chair, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group
Partners have developed two area-based STP delivery groups which have representation from health and social care commissioners, providers, patients and the voluntary and community sector. There will also be four ‘Living Well’ partnerships which will link district councils, local communities, multi-agency neighbourhood teams, primary care networks and locality wellbeing initiatives, such as support for carers and promoting physical activity.
The aim is to develop an integrated neighbourhood model across populations of 30,000 to 60,000 people – currently being piloted in two areas of Cambridgeshire. All community-based services will deliver preventative and holistic care that enables people to live healthier, longer and more independently.
The joint HWB will work with the ICS to help oversee these developments, along with wider issues such as how to make the best use of the ‘local pound’ and whether resources are in the right place in the longer term.
Cambridgeshire HWB and Peterborough HWB will also continue to meet separately to consider local health and wellbeing priorities.
For more information
Dr Liz Robin, Director of Public Health for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough [email protected]
Find out more on the HWB research and learning page.