Healthier Futures
The Black Country Integrated Care Systems (ICS) known as Healthier Futures, works to bring health and social care services closer together for the good of our communities.
The core purpose of the ICS is to:
- improve outcomes in population health and healthcare
- tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience and access
- enhance productivity and value for money
- help the NHS support broader social and economic development (NHS, 2021)
To achieve this the ICS is composed of an integrated care board (ICB) and integrated care partnership (ICP).
The Black Country ICB is a statutory NHS organisation responsible for developing a plan for meeting the health needs of 1.34 million people in the Black Country. It manages the NHS budget for the area and arrange for the provision of health services locally.
The Black Country ICP is a statutory committee jointly formed between the ICB, the four councils in the Black Country, the Police, fire, and education and is responsible for providing a focus on the wider determinants of health.
A partnership and delivery structure then operates at place and neighbourhood level composed of provider collaboratives, health and wellbeing boards (HWBs), place-based partnerships and primary care networks.
Integrated Care Systems. Source: The King’s Fund: How Will Integrated Care Systems Work? | The King's Fund
Health and Wellbeing Together is Wolverhampton’s Health and Wellbeing Board. It is responsible for supporting the development of improved and joined up health and social care services in the city and setting the strategic direction to improve the health and wellbeing of the local population.
OneWolverhampton is Wolverhampton’s place-based partnership. It is responsible for designing and delivering health and social care services that meet the needs of its local population.
Health and Wellbeing Together and OneWolverhampton work together to deliver improved population health outcomes for local people in Wolverhampton.