An integrated care partnership (or ICP) is a group of partners in a geographical area working together to address the health, social care and public health needs of their communities. Always making sure the public’s voice is at the heart of decision making.

Partners include local authorities, NHS organisations, businesses, education, Healthwatch and voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations

As part of the Health and Social Care Act 2022, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the unitary and upper tier local authorities hold a statutory duty to coordinate Lancashire and South Cumbria ICP together.

There has already been a lot of progress made in improving the way services work together and the way health and care organisations work as a partnership across Lancashire and South Cumbria. Joining up health and care is nothing new and the partners will continue to build on the excellent work that has already taken place, including the incredible joint working that took place throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first formal Lancashire and South Cumbria ICP meeting took place on Friday 30 September 2022, and it started with an opportunity for the members to hear from our residents. Healthwatch Together presented a video with local people’s voices sharing their views on where they live and their experiences of health and care. This enabled the partnership to start in the right way – with local people at the centre.