05/09/2023
The LATUC has submitted the following question to the Integrated Care Board AGM next week:
What is the Board's response to the following points concerning the provision of its services:
1. The ICS should not include private sector representatives on any ICS boards or committees or any bodies with delegated powers from the ICB.
2. A commitment that NHS providers are the default providers of health services, care and treatment, and that as contracts with private sector companies come up for renewal the default position is that they will be awarded to NHS providers.
3. If any contracts do continue to be awarded to the private sector, there must be vigorous scrutiny to ensure that this is conducted in a transparent and accountable manner.
4. A commitment that anyone who needs emergency or urgent services while present in the ICS’s geographical footprint will receive the necessary treatment, whether or not they are registered with, or permanently reside within, the ICS area.
5. For the Integrated Care Board to include a councillor from each local authority covered by the ICS, not just one representative covering all the local authorities in an area.
6. A commitment that the Integrated Care Board must include representatives of professionals from Mental Health, Community Health, Maternity, Primary Care and Public Health, as well as from Acute services.
7. A commitment that Integrated Care Boards, Integrated Care Partnership body, place-based bodies, committees and sub-committees will include representatives of patients’ groups and of NHS staff trade unions.
8. A commitment that all meetings of Integrated Care Boards, Integrated Care Partnership bodies, place-based bodies, committees and sub-committees will be held in public, papers must be available in advance, and observers – from the public, trade unions, patients’ groups – must be allowed to ask questions and be entitled to written answers to those questions.
9. There must be a commitment to ensure, before a patient is discharged from hospital, that it is safe to do so and that any unpaid carers expected to look after the patient are both willing and capable to do so, and that the operation of the discharge policy will be audited.
10. The ICS Constitution must specify that nationally agreed pay, terms and conditions, including pensions, as negotiated with the NHS staff unions, will apply to all staff employed by any NHS provider within the ICS area.
11. There must be discussion with NHS staff unions about safe staffing levels and what is needed to ensure they can be implemented.
