This is an interactive News from the Black Country and West Birmingham PDF. To navigate, use the arrow buttons on Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) each page or locate a specific section using the buttons below. ISSUE 03 In this issue Partnership News March 2021 Introduction Blue print for integrating health Introduction and care Three cheers for community volunteers This will be our last newsletter as a Sustainability and These new partnerships will work towards improving population NHS frontline heroes Transformation Partnership (STP) as NHS England and health outcomes and they will be decision-making forums that enable the adjustment of services and resources to better meet the needs of Don’t write off a Improvement recently confirmed our designation to an local people. cough as coronavirus Integrated Care System (ICS) from 1 April 2021. – get it checked As the 2020/21 financial year draws to a close, the biggest reflection The move to an ICS is timely with the publication of the Government is of pride in our heath and care workforce. For all those who have People with learning White Paper, ‘Integration and Innovation: Working together to gone above and beyond to care for people at their most vulnerable disabilities: Annual improve health and social care for all’ which sets the blue print for and protect many more from the impact of COVID-19. Through Health Checks (AHCs) the future of integrated health and care. This coming 12 months will the challenges of the last 12 months the strength, compassion and be a year for us to set the ground to become a statutory ICS in April Covid-19 Vaccine determination of our people has been outstanding. Thank you for all 2022 (subject to these legislative changes). Roll-out Update that you have done and continue to do. COVID-19 Community The Black Country and West Birmingham is already in a good place to › For NHS partners, as we start to see the reduction in covid pressure formalise our partnership, the formation of a new CCG will happen on Champions on our systems, a new challenge arises. Restoring services is key to us 1 April 2021 with more focus on strategic commissioning. New Black Country ensuring that people are seen for the care they need in as timely a way and West Birmingham We are developing five 'place-based collaboratives', integrating health as possible. We recognise however, that with this new focus we must CCG – merger update and care for citizens in each locality; and three 'system-wide providers ensure that our NHS workforce are supported to rest, decompress and Public encouraged collaborative' to focus on acute care, 111/999 services and Mental recover from the year of unprecedented demands placed upon them to call NHS 111 First Health/ Learning Disabilities services. both physically and emotionally. Our People Board is steering the Each of these eight Place and System groupings will form meaningful wellbeing support required to ensure we are there for those who have Supporting patients been there for so many people when they were needed the most. with ‘Long Covid’ partnerships that will provide a mechanism for the relevant NHS, Local Authority, community and voluntary sector and other providers Continue reading > Supporting your to collaborate around the provision of linked services, supporting wellbeing through population health and wellbeing. Covid-19 Young people engaged on mental health matters The Black Country and West Birmingham STP welcomes new leaders Mind Over Natter COVID-19 Got symptoms? Get a Test Building Healthier, Happier Communities 1 For local government partners the and Minority Ethnic communities role of supporting communities and worryingly the uptake of and people to safely shop and the vaccine is also much lower socialise again is key as is people’s amongst these groups. As the experience of care and support. data is now becoming clearer Testing capacity and support for and we continue to develop our local businesses will play a key insight into the reasons for people part of this, along with supporting having hesitancy with regard to the In this issue those people and families who vaccine, we will increase efforts to need extra help to manage their get the right information to people Introduction new circumstances. Care and and, if necessary, change the mode Blue print for support environments will also of vaccine delivery to improve integrating health move into a new phase. accessibility. Working with Public and care As you will read examples of in Health in each place, the NHS are Three cheers for this newsletter, the voluntary and creating a network of Community community volunteers community sector has played a Champions, facilitating many discussions with community and NHS frontline heroes really important role throughout the pandemic, supporting people faith leaders, we are asking trusted Don’t write off a to stay connected to communities community voices to get the right cough as coronavirus and building resilience in the messages out. Your support as key – get it checked darkest of times. The kind spirit stakeholders to help us with this is People with learning of a few has shone through our welcomed. disabilities: Annual communities and been a lifeline We hope you enjoy this edition of Health Checks (AHCs) for many. This edition pays tribute our stakeholder news. Covid-19 Vaccine to some of those people who have Roll-out Update given so much. Best wishes COVID-19 Community ‹ At the time of writing this › Champions newsletter, our vaccination programme is continuing at New Black Country pace. Having stood up over 30 and West Birmingham Jonathan Fellows CCG – merger update vaccination locations we are rapidly moving through the STP Independent Public encouraged cohorts of eligibility, starting with Chair to call NHS 111 First those most vulnerable. Whilst Supporting patients uptake is generally high, we are with ‘Long Covid’ seeing some areas of concern. We Paul Maubach know the reasons for lower uptake Supporting your STP Senior in some areas will be for a number wellbeing through Responsible Covid-19 of factors including confidence Officer and Chief in the vaccine, convenience of Executive Officer Young people access and also complacency with BCWB CCGs engaged on mental regard to whether people feel health matters they need it. We already know that The Black Country and COVID-19 has disproportionately West Birmingham STP impacted on our Black, Asian welcomes new leaders Mind Over Natter COVID-19 Got symptoms? Get a Test Building Healthier, Happier Communities 2 Blue print for integrating health and care In February the Government published Key measures included in the ‘Integration and • The pandemic has shown the impact of a White Paper which they say gives the Innovation: working together to improve health inequalities on public health outcomes blue print for future NHS and Social and social care for all’ White Paper include: and the need for Government to act to In this issue Care reforms. It is hoped that the new • The NHS and local government to come help level up health across the country. Legislation will help to support the proposals, which build on the NHS’ together legally as part of statutory Introduction integrated care systems to plan health and introduction of new requirements about Long Term Plan, will join up health calorie labelling on food and drink Blue print for care services around patients’ needs, and and care services and embed lessons packaging and the advertising of junk food integrating health quickly implement innovative solutions to learned from the pandemic. before the 9pm watershed. and care problems which would normally take years The paper details plans to support recovery to fix, including moving services out of Three cheers for The establishment of statutory ICSs would community volunteers by stripping away unnecessary legislative hospitals and into the community, focusing see the creation of an ICS NHS Board and an bureaucracy, empowering local leaders and on preventative healthcare. ICS Health and Care Partnership (together NHS frontline heroes services and tackling health inequalities. The • Under today’s proposals, the NHS will only referred to as the ICS), to strengthen the Don’t write off a government is proposing a Bill will be laid in need to tender services when it has the decision-making authority of the system cough as coronavirus Parliament, when parliamentary time allows, to potential to lead to better outcomes for leadership and to embed accountability – get it checked carry the proposals into law. The Government patients. This will mean staff can spend for system performance into the NHS intends to bring forward separate proposals on People with learning more time on patients and providing care, accountability structure. social care reform later this year. disabilities: Annual and local NHS services will have more The ICS NHS Board will be responsible for Health Checks (AHCs) The measures include proposals to make power to act in the best interests of their developing a plan to meet the health needs communities. Covid-19 Vaccine integrated care the default, reduce legal of our population, developing a capital plan • The safety of patients is at the heart of NHS Roll-out Update bureaucracy, and better support social care, for the NHS providers within the ICS and public health and the NHS. The reforms will services. The upcoming Bill will put the securing the provision of health services to COVID-19 Community ‹ › enable the health and care sector to use Healthcare Safety Investigations Branch meet the needs of the system population. The Champions technology in a modern way, establishing it as permanently into law as a Statutory Body so ICS Health and Care Partnership, will bring New Black Country a better platform to support staff and patient it can continue to reduce risk and improve together health, social care, public health (and and West Birmingham care, for example by improving the quality safety.