The delay to Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) becoming fully operational across the country was confirmed by NHS England and Improvement in their latest planning guidance, published on 24 December.
The Guidance states that to allow sufficient time for the remaining parliamentary stages of the Health and Care Bill, a revised target date of 1 July 2022 has been agreed for the new arrangements to take effect and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to be legally and operationally established. This is a change from the previous target date of 1 April 2022.
NEL CCG, which will transition to an ICB, will remain as a statutory organisation in the meantime and will continue to deliver all its existing functions and duties until 1 July.
We had already been preparing for this and in many ways welcome the delay which gives us more flexibility to prepare for the new arrangements while managing the significant winter pressures, including responding to the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, across the north east London health and care system.
Read more about how the NHS and social care is changing here.
