Paul Edwards, Director of Primary Care and Corporate Affairs at NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group introduced the report of the Chief Officer, which set out the proposed changes to the NHS in legislation and guidance for the introduction of an Integrated Care System. The report set out the background to the proposed changes, detailing the publication of the White Paper by the Department of Health and Social Care in 11^th February 2021, with the intention of the Government to bring forward a Health and Care Bill to implement the proposals in that White Paper being confirmed in the Queen’s Speech in May 2021, and more recently an Integrated Care System design framework having been published.

The Committee was advised on the implications of the proposals for Wirral residents and Wirral Council itself. It was reported that the intention of central Government was to develop a model to promote partnership working reduce bureaucracy, which would involve there being a single Integrated Care System for the Cheshire and Merseyside footprint, replacing all Clinical Commissioning Groups. There would be 9 ‘places’ within the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System based on Council boundaries of which Wirral would be one, and the guidance was consistent in that the majority of decision making would take place at a ‘place’ level, unless it made sense for decisions to be taken holistically at Integrated Care System level. Members were further advised that the Health and Wellbeing Board would play a key role in the governance of the Integrated Care Partnership at Wirral ‘place’ level, and that the proposals were subject to the passing of the Health and Care Bill.

The Committee sought further clarification and assurance on where decision would take place at a regional and place level, and discussed which services that would be dealt with at Integrated Care System level such as the ambulance service and those that would be dealt with at a place level such as mental health services. It was also highlighted that Cheshire and Merseyside was the largest proposed Integrated Care System and Members queried the implications of this.

It was proposed by Councillor Jean Robinson, seconded by Councillor Joe Walsh, that a separate one-item agenda meeting be scheduled to further consider the development of an Integrated Care System with different evidence and expertise to be presented at the meeting. The motion was put and agreed by assent. It was therefore –

Resolved – That

1)  a separate one-item agenda meeting be scheduled to further consider the development of an Integrated Care System with different evidence and expertise to be presented at the meeting.

2)  the report be noted.