The Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Partnership met on Monday, 22nd September, 2025, to discuss commissioning intentions, health and wellbeing board updates, and other operational matters. Key decisions included noting the process and timescale for developing Commissioning Intentions for 2026/27 and agreeing to note the updates from the various Health and Wellbeing Boards across the region.

Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board 2026/27 Commissioning Intentions

Jessica Williams, Strategic Commissioner (Interim), provided an update on the development of the 2026/27 Commissioning Intentions (CI). She highlighted that financial considerations would remain a primary focus for the coming year and the next, due to significant financial challenges faced by the Integrated Care Board (ICB). Longer-term, five to ten-year plans are being developed, incorporating the four LSC2030 priority areas: Long Term Condition Management, End of Life Care, Frailty, and Intermediate Care, in response to the 10 Year Health Plan and NHS Planning Guidance for 2026/27.

The process for developing and agreeing the 2025/26 CIs, which launched in April 2025, was outlined, with strategic intentions set to be published in December 2025 to facilitate agreed plans in early 2026. Engagement sessions had been held with NHS providers, local government colleagues, the voluntary sector, Healthwatch, and place and planning leads, providing valuable community insights that are being reflected in the 2026/27 plans. Further engagement sessions are scheduled for Autumn, with updates to Health and Wellbeing Boards planned for November and December.

Members provided feedback, emphasizing the importance of integrating work as a key determinant of health, strengthening the focus on 'left shift' initiatives (supporting patients in the community), and ensuring commissioning intentions allow for local tailoring. There was a call for a greater focus on population and public health, with an ambition for co-production of CIs. Jane Cass, Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Director of Partnerships and Collaboration, suggested considering local authority commissioning intentions alongside those of the ICB to identify opportunities for joint commissioning and simplify funding streams for Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) providers.

Resolved: The Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Partnership noted the process and timescale to develop and agree Commissioning Intentions for 2026/27.

Health and Wellbeing Board Updates

Updates were provided from several Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) across the region.

Councillor Patricia Bell, Cabinet Member for Adult Care at Westmorland and Furness Council, highlighted the complexities of working across the South Cumbria place footprint due to a lack of coterminosity. Key milestones achieved since June 2023 included the approval of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (December 2023), completion of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Overview (July 2024), agreement of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (July 2024), and its action plan (September 2024). Victoria Ellarby, Director of Place Development and Integration for the South Cumbria Place-based Partnership, added that a monthly place partnership forum ensures alignment between the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy and local priorities.

Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, Director of Public Health at Lancashire County Council, reported that the Lancashire HWB Board had refreshed its strategy and priorities post-pandemic and was undertaking a similar review in line with the 10-year plan and the development of Combined County Authorities. This review aims to better connect the Board's work with district councils and provider colleagues, and will include a review and widening of its membership.

Councillor Damian Talbot, Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Health and Chair of Blackburn with Darwen Health and Wellbeing Board, updated members on their September meeting, which included the completion of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment, work on immunisation and vaccination, and updates from the Children's Board and Place-based Partnership Board. The Board is also supporting an alcohol and drug awareness campaign, which they hope can be rolled out across Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Councillor Neal Brookes, Deputy Leader of Blackpool Council (People) and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, stated that suicide prevention, gambling harms, and Healthwatch insights were key agenda items for the Blackpool HWB Board, alongside vaping in children and young people and immunisation and vaccination uptake rates. He suggested linking future HWB Board updates to the delivery of the Integrated Care Strategy domains to build connections and facilitate recommendations between HWBs and the ICP.

Jane Cass asked Abdul Razaq, the Live Well Domain sponsor, to work with the public health collaborative to propose areas for collaborative work that would add value for ICP members.

Resolved: The Health and Wellbeing Board updates were noted.

Any Other Business

Jane Cass requested that Bryan Jones, Head of School - Health, Social Work and Sport at the University of Lancashire and Chair of the Social Prescribing Advisory Group, provide an update on the Social Prescribing Shared Fund at the December meeting.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, 15th December, 2025, at 10 am, to be held via MS Teams.