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What is the ICS?

3 October 2023

An integrated care system (ICS) is the system that brings together the health and care organisations in a particular local area to deliver joined-up health and care services. Each ICS is responsible for planning health and care services in the area it covers. There are 42 ICSs across England. Each one is made up of an integrated care board (ICB) and an integrated care partnership (ICP), which will work in tandem to meet their four purposes:

  1. Improving population health and healthcare outcomes.
  2. Enhancing productivity and value for money.
  3. Tacking inequalities in outcomes, experience and access.
  4. Helping the NHS to support broader social and economic development.

ICBs are statutory NHS organisations responsible for developing a joint forward plan in collaboration with NHS trusts / foundation trusts and other system partners for meeting the health needs of their population, managing the NHS budget and arranging for the provision of health services in their defined area.  

The ICP is responsible for producing an integrated care strategy on how to meet the health and wellbeing needs of the population. It operates as a statutory committee formed between the NHS ICB and all upper-tier local authorities that fall within the area, with membership of other partner organisations determined locally.

More info about the NENC ICS can be found on their WEBSITE

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear LOC Latest News

Local Accreditation event for the new North of Tyne Glaucoma Enhanced Referral Service (GERS) – online 13th of May,

THIS IS ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT ATTENDED AN IN-PERSON SESSION. Glaucoma Monitoring and GERS   This is a reminder that the Glaucoma Monitoring and GERS service is now live in Northumberland, North Tyneside, Newcastle and Gateshead. To provide this service, your practitioner will need to have the below accreditations uploaded to OPERA:   …

28 April 2024

Pre- cataract Service North of Tyne

Please can people check their email boxes for LOC and Primary Eyecare Services emails and read the Communications sent out over the past few months. This may help with some of the confusion over the new Pre-cataract services. We realise that change is difficult especially when people work across different locations. If you are still …

28 April 2024

North East and North Cumbria NHS Plan

The NENC Integrated Care Board have produced a plan for the next few years. The joint forward plan provides a: • strategic overview of the key priorities and objectives for the medium term. • high-level summary of our priorities and objectives • summary of the work programmes we will deliver to achieve our medium-term objectives. …

25 April 2024

“YAG Capsulotomy For Optometrists.” online CPD

Tees LOC and Durham LOC would like to invite you to an online CPD We are delighted to offer the CPD lecture from Aston University by Imogen Hawthorne. Imogen is currently the Co-Lead for the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice at Aston University, as well as the Deputy Clinical Lead for a community ophthalmology service in …

25 April 2024

Pre-Cataract Pathway and Referrals for people registered with North of Tyne GP’s.

Primary Eyecare Services (PES) and Northumberland Tyne and Wear LOC have been working together to streamline the cataract referral process for patients. PES has been in contact with all the local Independent Sector Providers (ISPs) of cataract surgery to discuss the option of developing a pre-cataract pathway for their patients which will run alongside the …

11 April 2024

Now LIVE! NuTH GRR, GERS and Glaucoma Monitoring Service

We would like to inform you that Primary Eye Care Services, in collaboration with the ICB and NuTH will launch the following Community Optometry services for patients registered with GP’s in Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle Gateshead. The Services Glaucoma Repeat Readings (GRR) This is an established service which works by repeating pressure checks with …

9 March 2024

Now LIVE! Direct referral for cataract surgery service for Newcastle Eye Centre plus Post-op data collection service.

Find the details and register to participate see your emails. If you have any issues with OPERA please contact hello@referral.support. Any pathway queries should be directed to angela.henderson@primaryeyecare.co.uk and Naomi.smith@primaryeyecare.co.uk

8 March 2024

Eye Care Electronic Referral System (EeRS) Rolls out North of Tyne

Contractors check your emails NTW and Durham LOC have concerns that currently have not been addressed however NuTH are very keen to proceed. The LOC would welcome thoughts and feedback from members to help us shape our ongoing conversations. Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Foundation Trust (NUTH) Ophthalmology Services is adopting a new Eye Care Electronic …

27 February 2024

Use NHS Service Finder to obtain GP practice NHS emails

Instructions have been sent to Contractors to help Performers (optometrists) send referrals and communications to GP via NHS mail. Sent Feb 2024. Please remember these should be sent from practice SHARED MAIL BOXES were possible (rather than personal NHS mail addresses) or EGRESS for those who do not have access to NHS mail accounts.

22 February 2024

HES vouchers issued by NuTH (Newcastle)

Please note that all HES vouchers should be sent to the address below for payment. Failure to do so may result in delayed payment.  Finance Department Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Regent Point Regent Farm Road Gosforth Newcastle Upon Tyne NE3 3HD The LOC have talked to NuTH to try to establish a system …

3 January 2024

LOCSU Latest news

OFNC – Derisory GOS Fee Imposed by DHSC

Government has today announced that it has decided to impose another real-terms cut to the NHS sight test fee.

26 March 2024

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