Integrated Care Boards
(asked on 20th January 2022) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling Integrated Care Systems to develop their own workforce plans.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) will have a role in increasing, developing, retaining and supporting the local health and care workforce. In August 2021 NHS England published draft guidance for integrated care systems (ICSs) and future ICBs, including guidance on ICS’ people functions, which is available at the following link:
Subject to Parliamentary approval, ICBs will have specific responsibilities for delivering the actions in the NHS People Plan, as well as the requirements outlined in the draft guidance. This includes a role for ICBs in enabling adequate workforce supply through strategic planning and collaboration across the system. In addition, the draft guidance sets out the expectation that ICBs will work with partners in the area to develop system workforce plans for the health and care workforce, based on population needs and with an integrated approach across workforce, finance and activity. The draft guidance also asks ICBs to work with regional and national workforce teams to support planning and to inform initiatives. Through its regional teams, NHS England will support ICBs to deliver these priorities and responsibilities.