We continue to influence national policy and guidance on ICSs. We have recently submitted a response to NHS England’s (NHSE) consultation on statutory guidance on working in partnership with people and communities. Our response highlighted the importance of meaningful community engagement in improving services and outcomes. We were pleased to see the theme of tackling health inequalities throughout the guidance and support the recognition of the importance of partnering with people and communities to help address them. We also welcomed the helpful reference in the draft guidance to NHS foundation trusts working with their council of governors. This document has now been finalised and can be accessed here. 

NHSE also invited views on the draft Addendum to your statutory duties – reference guide for NHS foundation trust governors, which we summarised in this briefing. The addendum seeks to place the legal duties of councils of governors into the context of system working. It addresses holding the non-executive directors to account for the performance of the board, representing the interests of trust members and the public, and approving or not, significant transactions, mergers, acquisitions, separations or dissolutions.  

We have been working closely with NHSE colleagues in the preparation of this draft addendum, and welcomed this update in light of the new context of system working. However, our engagement with trusts on the draft has also raised some ongoing concerns about some of the detail, which we have fed back to NHS England.