In response to the release of a new report into the future of the ICS system and integrating care in the NHS by NHS England and NHS Improvement, MiP chief executive Jon Restell said:

“It’s welcome that NHS England is looking again at how to support the emerging ICS model with changes to the statutory framework. Our members support the collaborative systems approach to population health management and service improvement. They want to give the model a proper legal underpin and effective management arrangements. The proposals in this document have been discussed for several years with broad consensus in the NHS and they would have been taken forward much sooner if it weren’t for the focus on Brexit.

“However, it is really important that things do not descend into the costly distraction and fragmentation of the Lansley reforms. Managers across the NHS are stretched very thin and need support to continue to deal with operational challenges, not threats of redundancy. There are opportunities here to re-focus finance, information and planning capabilities on performance and improvement, rather than contracting between providers and commissioning. There are important legislative changes to make, but this should not require disruptive organisational change.

“After the Lansley disaster, our members are rightly worried about what’s going to happen. We welcome the announcement of a stable employment guarantee. National employment frameworks and principles, negotiated with unions, will be vital to make sure the NHS gets the change right.

“We welcome the fact that NHS England is talking to the NHS about what to do next. MiP will study the various legislative options and consult our members. We will then feed in our views by the early new year.

“It’s so important that our members let us know their views, so we can represent their views as healthcare professionals and protect their employment interests. I urge people to join a union, if you don’t belong to one. Staff in bands 8 and 9 and in executive grades are very welcome in MiP.”