Transition to Northamptonshire's Integrated Care System

Under new arrangements, the practice and all its registered patients will transfer to Northamptonshire Integrated Care System (ICS) on 1st July 2022.

We do not anticipate any significant impact on services due to the transfer, if any patients are individually affected, we will be in touch with them to discuss these changes and what it means for them. We would like to reassure patients registered with Oundle Medical Practice that our priority throughout this process is to minimise disruption and ensure consistent continuity of care for them all

FAQ's

How will the changes affect me personally?

Oundle Medical Practice, which is located within North Northamptonshire currently, is part of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Under the new arrangements, the practice and all its registered patients will transfer to Northamptonshire Integrated Care System (ICS) on 1st July 2022.

We do not anticipate any significant impact on services due to the transfer, if any patients are individually affected, we will be in touch with them to discuss these changes and what it means for them. We would like to reassure patients registered with Oundle Medical Practice our priority throughout this process is to minimise disruption and ensure consistent continuity of care for them all.

Why do we need to change?

Northamptonshire is home to nearly 750,000 people, who all have different health and care needs. Not only is our local population growing in size, people are also living longer but suffering from more long-term conditions. People living in different parts of the county are also currently experiencing different life expectancies, with those living in deprivation likely to experience poorer health and have shorter life expectancies.

Higher demand, changes in health and care needs, and a limitation of resources have made it challenging to deliver care where it is needed. The new ICS gives us new opportunities to come together to focus on local health issues, challenge the determinants of poor health and to join up our services, to benefit our local population. By joining Oundle with Northamptonshire ICS health, social care, voluntary sector and charity sector services can work collaboratively to provide services for people in this location.

By working together to provide high quality health and care, our population will live longer, healthier, active and more independent lives.

How will I benefit from this?

Integrated Care Systems are partnerships between the organisations that meet health and care needs across a geographical area.

The government wants ICSs to deliver three key aims:

• Improving health
• Improving health services
• Sustainable use of resources

It is about removing any barriers or gaps that exist between different parts of health and care – for example, between hospitals and GP practices, between physical and mental health, or between the NHS and council services.

In the past, these barriers and gaps have resulted in too many people experiencing disjointed care.

Please explain in simple terms what ICS is?

There will be 42 ICS areas created across England, including Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Government legislation in the form of the Health and Care Bill is in progress to give all Integrated Care Systems statutory status, most likely by 1st July 2022.

An ICS is a partnership of local health and care organisations including hospitals, community and mental health trusts, GPs and other primary care services with local authorities, the voluntary and charity sector and other care providers that come together to plan and deliver joined-up services and improve the health of the people who live and work in their area.

Subject to the passage of the Health and Care Bill through Parliament, NHS Northamptonshire CCG along with all other CCGs, will be disestablished at the end of June 2022 and two new statutory bodies will come into effect in the county: an Integrated Care Board (ICB) to oversee local NHS functions and working closely with an Integrated Care Partnership of wider health and care organisations.

Integrated Care Board

The ICB is a statutory body responsible for local NHS services, functions, performance and budgets. The ICB will be directly accountable to the NHS and will be made up of local NHS trusts, primary care providers, and local authorities. It will take over all commissioning (the planning and purchasing of health services) responsibilities from the CCG, plus some new commissioning responsibilities from NHS England and NHS Improvement.

Integrated Care Partnership

The ICP is a statutory committee of system partners whose role it is to promote partnership arrangements, develop local needs analysis and produce a local health and care strategy. Its broad, system-wide membership will include health, local government, the voluntary and community sector and other public sector partners.

You can also find further information about Integrated Care Systems by clicking on the following links: ·

• Proposals for legislation
• Integrated Care

Will I still be a patient with Oundle Medical Practice?

Yes, your patient records are held by the practice and any changes will be done in the background automatically. You do not need to take any action.

Will I still be able to make appointments?

Yes, nothing there will change, you will continue to contact the practice in the same way you do now. If you have existing appointments booked, they will continue as well.

What will happen about my repeat prescriptions?

Your prescriptions will still be issued in the same way. You can request your repeat prescriptions and they can be collected or delivered in the same way as they are now.

Will I still have a choice about my healthcare needs?

The NHS Constitution gives most people living in England the right to choose where to receive treatment.

You have the right to:

• choose your GP surgery, unless there are reasonable grounds to refuse (for example, you live outside the area that the surgery covers)
• make choices about your NHS care, and to receive information to support these choices

This also means you can choose the organisation (hospital or treatment centre) that provides your NHS care when you're referred for your first appointment with a consultant.

So if your GP recommends that you see a specialist, you can choose where and when to see them.

What if I want to change my GP practice?

If, for any reason, you want to change your GP practice, you will need to register as a new patient. You can find GP practices near you on the NHS website. You will need to contact the GP practice you wish to be registered at directly.

What happens to my open referral?

An open referral is a referral your GP makes on your behalf for specialist treatment – this could be at a hospital or another NHS service. Your referral will not be impacted by Oundle Medical Practice transferring to Northamptonshire ICS, even if you have been referred to an NHS service which is outside the county. If you have already been referred for treatment and are on a waiting list, that will continue to be the case. Whichever hospital or treatment centre you were originally referred to will still be where you receive your treatment.

Can I speak to anyone about this as I don’t understand what is happening?

Patients who have concerns or questions about the transfer can contact the Patient Experience Team via capccg.pet@nhs.net

Published: Mar 24, 2022