The Government has now published ‘Integration and Innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all' – its white paper on new plans to reform the NHS, including proposals to make ICSs statutory and make major changes to way services are procured. 

Chaand Nagpaul, Chair of BMA council, has released a strong statement on the white paper, stressing the need for clinicians to be at the heart of any changes. The BMA will be producing a summary of the white paper for members shortly. In January, the BMA submitted a comprehensive response to NHS England’s legislative proposals, on which the Government’s plans have been based, highlighting the importance of ensuring proper clinical, GP, and LMC representation. 

The proposals set out that GPs will be one of the few required members of the ICS leadership, and that there will be a lot of flexibility around how place level (former CCG) working is organised and works, so there is a key role for CDs and LMCs to engage in that to help shape it.