Four new ICSs announced

The areas each serve parts of London, Yorkshire, Hertfordshire and Sussex, and mean half the country’s population is now covered by an ICS, according to NHSE/I. The new additions cover a total of six million people.

This brings the total number of ICSs to 18 as the NHS moves to have every part of the country covered by ICS by April 2021, as set out in the NHS long-term plan.

The new ICSs are:

• Hertfordshire and West Essex
• Humber, Coast and Vale
• South West London
• Sussex

All four were previously sustainability and transformation partnerships, with Sussex and East Surrey STP becoming Sussex ICS. East Surrey has joined the Surrey health system.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS England’s chief operating officer, said the NHS’s response to covid-19 has represented “whole-system working”, and “so must be the recovery”.

She added: “As well as locking in the improvements we want to keep, we must maintain the agility that has served the NHS so well. Changes that have been debated for years, delivered overnight with strong partnership working…We have acted our way to transformation and better care, and we must continue to do so.”