New chapter for the Black Country health and care system

July 8, 2022

As you may be aware, we recently established our Integrated Care System (ICS). Our ICS will bring providers and commissioners of NHS services together with local authorities and other local partners to plan and deliver joined up services and to improve the lives of people who live and work in the Black Country.

The Black Country ICS will be made up of two key bodies – an NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) and an Integrated Care Partnership (ICP).

ICBs will take on functions from the current NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), which have now been dissolved, and have greater strategic responsibility for setting healthcare strategies for their local system.

The new Black Country ICB, which has been formally established, will take on the existing responsibilities of the NHS Black Country and West Birmingham CCG, and will be responsible for planning and coordinating services on behalf of 1.26 million local people, as well as managing the local NHS budget.

Be sure to check out this short video on how the NHS works and more importantly how it will be changing.