From today (Friday 1 July), the Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) will be formally established and replace the NHS Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group (BCWB CCG).
Dissolving the CCG and establishing the ICB follows Parliamentary approval and Royal Assent of the new Health and Care Act 2022, which outlines how effective collaboration and better partnership working will become commonplace for local health and care providers.
In addition to taking on the existing responsibilities of the BCWB CCG, the Black Country ICB will be responsible for planning and coordinating services on behalf of 1.26 million local people as well as managing the local NHS budget.
The ICB, which covers Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton, will also bring the local health and care system together, with its board of officials comprising those from within the organisation as well as representatives from local NHS trusts, primary care, local authorities, voluntary organisations and community providers. More information about all the leadership roles and the people behind them, can be found here.
Mark Axcell, Chief Executive Officer for the Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “Today marks an important milestone in NHS history, where collaboration is at the very heart of delivering care.
“In the Black Country we have already achieved a lot by working in partnership with organisations in the health and care sector, which has undoubtedly been strengthened over the last few years through our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This transition to an ICB is a huge opportunity for us to build on these strong foundations and achieve our vision for a healthier future for all.
“By working together with our partners, the voluntary sector, local people and our communities, we can make a real difference in reducing health inequalities and deliver the best possible services to people in the Black Country."
The new ICB will be the statutory NHS element of the Black Country Integrated Care System.
This is a wider network of local health and care organisations that will, along with councils, community providers and voluntary sector groups, plan and organise how health and care services can be delivered across the Black Country.
You can visit the Black Country ICB website for more information, including details of the first Board meeting to be held on Friday 1 July 2022.
