Birmingham and Solihull are set to get a drastic change to the way that care is delivered in the area.
The establishing of a new NHS organisation, NHS Birmingham and Solihull, marks the beginning of a new era for many areas of the country, with 41 other Integrated Care Boards being launched today (1st July). This news follows the report that Greater Manchester will go through the same change, changing the direction of health and social care across the country.
The new Integrated Care Boards are part of the Integrated Care System and will take on all responsibility for planning to meet local health needs, the allocation of resources to NHS partners and services are ready to deliver the ambitions and improved outcomes. In Birmingham and Solihull, this means providing improved care for a population of 1.3 million people.
The delivery of the ICS’ priorities is a key part of NHS Birmingham and Solihull’s mission and these include:
- Investing in workforce
- Responding to Covid-19
- Reducing long waits and improving performance
- Improving the responsiveness of urgent and emergency care and building community care capacity
- Making primary care more accessible
- Enhancing mental health services and services for people with a learning disability and/or autism
- Addressing stark health inequalities
Chief Executive of NHS Birmingham and Solihull, David Melbourne, said:
“Today marks a real shift in the strategic direction of health and care services in Birmingham and Solihull. The ICB provides a platform from which we can affect significant change, making the care our population receives more seamless, fit for purpose and equitable for all.
This integrated working has long been an ambition for us, with the Covid-19 pandemic forcing us to accelerate how all of our partners work together to ensure we meet the needs of our people. This new organisation now means we have the formal infrastructure in place to capitalise on the steps we’ve already taken, providing clear leadership and prioritisation, informed by those who know our communities best.
I’m incredibly excited to see what the future brings and feel confident in our ability to make the most of this opportunity, overhauling the way our system operates to ultimately improve the lives of the people of Birmingham and Solihull.”
To celebrate the launch of the new system, a video showing many of the achievements that can be made possible with this initiative has been created. These include progress in elective recovery, innovation in general practice, and addressing inequity in access for maternity services.
