The Public Health and Health Integration Scrutiny Commission met to discuss NHS restructuring, winter planning, GP access, and digital inclusion. The commission noted reports on NHS transformation, winter protection plans, GP access improvements, and the NHS app and digital inclusion initiatives. NHS dentistry was added to the work programme.

NHS Restructuring

The Integrated Care Board (ICB) provided an update on the national reform of the NHS operating model, which includes integrating the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, and modifying the role of ICBs. All ICBs in England are required to reduce running costs and transition to a more strategic role. As part of these changes, the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB and Northamptonshire ICB will form a cluster, operating with a single board, leadership team, and staffing structure, though remaining separate statutory bodies. Toby Sanders is the Interim Chief Executive for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB and permanent Chief Executive for Northamptonshire ICB, and Paula Clark is the Interim Chair across both ICBs.

The NHS has outlined these changes in the 10 Year Health Plan for England and specifically for ICBs in the 'model ICB' paper. The blueprint outlines the core roles and functions that ICBs will be responsible for with a significantly reduced running costs budget – a 33% reduction for NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and 29% for NHS Northamptonshire.

Winter Protection Plans

The ICB presented its winter plan to manage increased demand due to weather conditions and seasonal illnesses. The plan includes key performance indicators, lessons learned from previous winters, and strategies for urgent and emergency care, primary care, community care, mental health, and immunisation and vaccination.

Key performance indicators that LLR is working towards include:

• Ambulance Response reaching urgent patients (like chest pain or stroke) within 30 minutes.
• Quicker Handovers so no one should wait in an ambulance outside hospital for more than 45 minutes.
• Shorter A&E Waits so most people will be seen, treated, admitted, or discharged within 4 hours.
• Better Care for Children aiming for 90% of children and young people to be treated in A&E within 4 hours.
• Cutting Very Long Waits so fewer people are waiting over 12 hours in A&E, or 24 hours for a mental health bed.
• Supporting Safe Discharge helping patients return home as soon as they are ready, so fewer stay in hospital for over 3 weeks unnecessarily.
• Protecting Staff and Patients by increasing flu vaccination rates for NHS staff to help keep services safe

Initiatives include improving flu vaccine uptake among pregnant women, children, and clinical risk groups, and improving RSV vaccine uptake among pregnant women and older adults. The plan also addresses fuel poverty by providing professional referral channels and raising awareness of health issues connected to living in a cold home.

GP Access Improvements

The ICB aims to create a simpler, fairer, and more efficient service by focusing on two main contact points: GP practices and NHS 111. In Leicester City, same-day appointments are available in GP practices, pharmacies, and urgent treatment centres. The changes include increasing the number of locations for same-day GP appointments, making appointments longer and with a GP, and expanding Pharmacy First to deliver 210,000 appointments across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

The key messages for engagement are:

• Step 1: Try Self Care First
• Step 2: Need more help? Contact your GP practice or call NHS 111 (if your GP practice is closed).

NHS App and Digital Inclusion

The ICB provided an update on the NHS App and digital inclusion initiatives. The NHS App offers patients functionalities such as appointment management, prescription services, and access to medical records. Hospital integration has begun, with plans to include mental health and community services. Digital inclusion is being advanced through over 60 hubs in LLR, supported by the Good Things Foundation. These hubs provide free data, devices, and training. Efforts are underway to recycle NHS devices and repurpose government laptops to support underserved communities.