Soon the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) will be responsible for those pharmacy, optometry and dental care services that operate in our system.
These services have previously been commissioned and managed by NHS England in the Midlands, but delegation to the ICB in April 2023 will allow us to consider how those services can best serve our local populations and will be discussed as part of our Integrated Care Partnership (ICP).
Staff at NHS England in the Midlands who are responsible for commissioning and managing the services will continue to do so, but they will be responsible to a group of ICBs who will come together in committees, rather than for NHS Midlands.
In April 2024, some specialised services such as cardiac and kidney services currently commissioned by NHS England in the Midlands will also be delegated to ICBs, and we will be able to shape these to better fit our local populations together with the insight of our ICP partners.
At present, representatives of the ICB and of NHS England in the Midlands are working together to help smooth the transition – sharing information and data, finance and contracting details as well as setting up governance and quality procedures.
Mr Mark Axcell, Black Country ICB Chief Executive said: “Teams have been working for more than two years on how to delegate these services. It makes perfect sense. In the Black Country we have 288 pharmacies, 121 optometrists and 159 general dental practices as well as specialist services. Working more closely with them will allow us to make sure they are offering the right service for our population.“
