Public engagement is a principal plank of the new Integrated Care System or ICS. Each ICS across the UK (including Northamptonshire) will need to work directly with communities on issues of Health Inequality and tailor bespoke solutions for and with them. This is likely to happen most at a localised level, through the concept of Local Area Partnerships (there will be 17 of these in total across both West and North Northamptonshire).

Local Area Partnerships will consist of household populations of between 30,000 and 50,000.

It is a requirement of the ICS to engage with communities and engage well. It stands to reason that if you engage well, communities understand and can, on occasions, mobilise support.

The Draft Public Engagement Strategy for Northamptonshire can be found here: Get involved | Integrated Care Northamptonshire (icnorthamptonshire.org.uk)

This new Integrated Care Website also provides details of the newly constituted Integrated Care Board (or ICB) – which is effectively the Governance of the System at a strategic level.

The Public Engagement Strategy is currently in Draft format awaiting ratification by both the North and West Health and Well-being Boards in September of 2022.