Integrated Care Strategy - Better Health and Wellbeing for All

The following is from the NENC Integrated Care Board:

This plan has been developed by the NHS, local councils, Healthwatch and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations who have come together as an Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) for the region. This partnership is a committee of the NHS Integrated Care Board and the 13 local councils across the North East and North Cumbria.

Across our region, organisations, communities and citizens have done a great deal to improve health and wellbeing. We have much to be proud of thanks to the strong partnerships and collaborative working which have been built on over many years.

But despite all of this we still have some of the poorest health outcomes in the country. Facts and figures about the health of people in the region, and their lived experience, make for uncomfortable reading. For instance, we know men living in our region spend almost a quarter of their lives in ill health and that we have some of the highest levels of child poverty in England. In nine of our 13 local authority areas there is a healthy life expectancy of less than 60 years. There are only four areas in the whole of the south of England that are this low.

Sadly, the fact is that people in our region still die younger and live with illnesses for longer than in other parts of the country - especially in our most deprived communities.

Our integrated care strategy sets out how we will continue to work together to change this picture of health and wellbeing in our region. It describes how we will ensure fairer health outcomes for people, as we know not everyone has the same opportunities to be healthy because of the environments where they are born, grow up, live, work, and their age too. This includes giving our children and young people the best start in life.

Alongside this, we want to ensure our health and care services are not only high quality but the same quality – no matter where you live and who you are. That they are also joined up and that people have the same access to the right care.

Our plan also sets out how we will work together to help people to stay healthy by addressing the causes of ill health and preventing diseases in the first place, and we will also improve mental health and wellbeing. We have set clear goals to tackle the key causes of early death too - such as smoking, alcohol, obesity, heart disease, substance misuse and suicide. 

We know that our ambitions for better health and wellbeing cannot be achieved without supporting our committed workforce who are crucial to our success. Our plans include how we will look after their physical and mental wellbeing and build a health and care workforce for the future.

This plan has been developed in partnership with many people and organisations. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed and helped us to shape and develop this plan. We know we have more to do to discuss, involve and engage with our communities about their lived experiences and how we improve their health and experience of health and care services.

We recognise we are publishing this plan at a challenging time for everyone including the NHS and social care. We know that we are yet to understand the full impact of the pandemic, services are still in recovery, and rising energy costs and the cost of living crisis is of grave concern for all and impacting significantly on the quality of life for our citizens.

We have no doubt that this plan will continue to evolve. We have set a vision and ambition which we hope will mean that, in time, all our communities can live healthier and longer lives. Bringing this plan to life, making it happen - is what we all want to see. We have no doubt we can and will do that, together.

We look forward to continuing to work with you as we continue our journey for better health and wellbeing for all in the North East and North Cumbria.