We are a region that thrives on collaborations driven by a shared vision to do the very best for our patients, local communities and those that work for us.

We’re already working together as one Integrated Care System (ICS) across the North East and North Cumbria and will become a statutory organisation, subject to approvals by Parliament, from 1 April 2022. You can read more about what this means in the recent white paper.

We are committed to ensuring that our ICS delivers improved health and care for our whole population by working together ‘at-scale’ on our shared priorities which include improving overall health, reducing inequalities and increasing life expectancy.  At the same time we are working more closely with all our partners – including local authorities and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VSCE) sector - to ensure we continue to design and deliver services to meet the needs of our local communities – what we call place-based working.

This includes working with our 64 primary care networks (PCNs) which are groups of local GP practices, social care teams and other community-based care providers. And building on the strong links we have with Healthwatch and the VCSE sector across the region including VONNE and Cumbria CVS. These networks are built around places and neighbourhoods each working to improve services for local people and thinking about how to meet future challenges.

Through closer working with our local authorities and all our partners, our ambition is to also bring together not just health and social care but also education, planning, housing, environmental health and leisure services for the benefit of local communities.