The Health Secretary Sajid Javid met with representatives from Integrated Care Communities in north Cumbria to discuss their development as he visited Carlisle’s new cancer centre.
Mr Javid expressed an interest in learning more about ICCs and their role in north Cumbria and the wider system. He spoke to staff from community teams, as well as primary care and the voluntary sector.
They explained how by working together as an ICC they bring care closer to home, help support people to get discharged home in a timely way and reduce the need for many people to be admitted into hospitals.
Vanessa Connor, ICC development manager at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust said: “We spoke about how the relationships we have built across health, public health, social care, and the third sector have enabled us to mobilise swiftly at the beginning of the pandemic to control outbreaks and maintain essential care.
“Sajid was really interested in our day units and how they are helping us to deliver care closer to home, reducing pressure on our hospital sites.
“He was also interested in the rollout of e-community and how this will help us to work more efficiently. He is keen for all health care to become smarter with digital solutions.”
The team were proud to say Cumbria has developed these over recent years and the positive results of this are beginning to show, the trust said.
Ed Tallis, director of primary care for NHS North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “It was great to be able to talk in detail to the Health Secretary about some of the really exciting work we are doing in north Cumbria in our Integrated Care Communities.
“We have been building these relationships for some years, and now we are seeing the benefits for patients in bringing our primary care, community and adult social care teams together, along with the third sector.
“Bringing teams together from different organisations makes it easier for them to work together. We know it is improving patient experience, and that staff can feel the difference in this collaborative approach.”
Vanessa added: “Overall, he was genuinely very interested in what we have achieved by working together as a system.”
Sajid Javid MP was at the Cumberland Infirmary to formally visit the new cancer centre on the site. He specifically asked the trust to set up a meeting to learn about the work undertaken in developing ICCs so he can share best practices across the country.
To find out more about ICCs go to Integrated Care Communities – How do they work?
