Decision details

Clare Platt, Head of Service Health, Equity, Welfare and Partnerships, Lancashire County Council presented the report where over recent months there had been a number of discussions highlighting the opportunity for the Health and Wellbeing Boards to work with, and influence, the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System to promote integration and improve population health outcomes. Recently the Integrated Care System had been reviewing its governance arrangements, and so it was timely to consider the opportunities for a system-wide approach to integrated health and social care, prevention, and tackling health inequalities.

There were a number of examples of such arrangements across the Country, with the Local Government Association (LGA) supporting Health and Wellbeing Boards in developing this approach, and publishing associated case studies. The Local Government Association had offered support in delivering joint arrangements for Lancashire and South Cumbria.

The report identified learning and best practice in relation to joint working, progress and the governance options available for consideration.

The Board agreed that there was a need for collaboration to deliver one strategy and ensure more health and social integration and that there should be one collaborative arrangement under the Integrated Care System, with five Integrated Care Partnerships. 

Following this meeting there would need to be discussions between the three chairs of the Health and Wellbeing Boards in Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool so that each understood what each Board could bring to the collaboration and how to ensure it worked including holding the Integrated Care System to account.  This was a real opportunity to look at a broader agenda.

Resolved:  That the Health and Wellbeing Board:

i)  Noted the report and agreed to progress joint arrangements.

ii)  Agreed that the offer of support from the Local Government Association be accepted.

iii)  Required an update on progress to the next meeting of the Board.

Prevention and Population Health Services

Clare Platt also gave an update on discussions that had taken place with East Lancashire, Fylde and Wyre, Greater Preston, Chorley and South Ribble and Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Groups about alignment of public health services.  A further conversation with West Lancashire was to be held shortly.  Discussions revealed that there were different interpretations of the Lancashire County Council offer across each Clinical Commissioning Group footprint. This posed a significant challenge for Lancashire County Council in terms of planning, consistency and risk management.

Clinical Commissioning Groups are keen to understand the degree of devolution whether it was involvement in decision making or devolution of public health grant monies with an associated performance framework or something between the two.

There needed to be more clarity re development of a Memorandum of Understanding, governance and the opportunity for oversight by the Health and Wellbeing Board.

A paper had also been requested that could be shared with all Clinical Commissioning Group Boards outlining the proposal, followed up by more detail on governance at a later state.

Resolved:  That the Health and Wellbeing Board welcomed the update.