The core purpose of our ICS is to:
- improve outcomes in population health and healthcare
- tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience and access
- enhance productivity and value for money
- help the NHS support broader social and economic development.
Our Integrated Care Strategy sets out how to meet the health and wellbeing needs of the population in the Black Country. The strategy builds on and compliments the work of the Health and Wellbeing Boards in each area, but looks at the additionality that can be brought through system level working.
The themes of Healthier People - Healthier Places - Healthier Futures provide a framework for the strategy:
- Healthier People - Black Country people face a range of health challenges and poorer health outcomes. This strategy sets the context for how we can work together to improve these.
- Healthier Places - The Black Country is a place where 1,202,528 people live in nearly 500,000 homes on about 138 sq. mi. / 360 km2 of land. Today, it’s a place where there are almost 40,000 businesses, with over 450,000 jobs, generating £17.2 billion gross value added per annum. These are tremendous resources, and it is the power that comes from the strength of the communities in these places which will drive much of our work.
- Healthier Futures - One of the purposes of a strategy is to look ahead. It is recognised that it takes time to tackle the wider determinants of health and improve health life expectancy.
This strategy identifies key priority areas for us to work together on so that we can properly understand their issues and find the solutions to the challenges that we all face.
- Workforce retention and recruitment
- Children and families
- Social care system
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing
Assets and Resources
- Health and care is a large employer in the Black Country. We have a strong and thriving community and voluntary sector.
- We have four well connected place-based partnerships, linking statutory bodies to the communities they serve. We have high performing health and care providers.
Challenges
- Health: poor healthy life expectancy, health inequalities, poor health behaviours and lifestyles, high infant mortality and high disease prevalence.
- Socio-Economic: cost of living, poverty, high proportion of working-age people claiming benefits.
Priorities
- Workforce (recruitment, education, training)
- Children and families
- Social care system
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing
Purpose
- Tackle outcomes in population health and healthcare
- Tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience and access
- Support broader social and economic development
- Enhance productivity and value for money
