Stakeholder Update: Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust - 8th March 2024
Dear all
We wrote to you in December to provide an update on the future of Dudley Integrated Health and Care (DIHC) NHS Trust.
As a brief reminder, DIHC was established in 2020 at the start of the Covid pandemic. Since then, the landscape and NHS policy has changed considerably and whilst the clinical model of care for Dudley is still supported positively by all partners, it has been decided that it can be delivered through a place-based partnership rather than through a stand-alone organisation. Following discussion with all partners and decisions made by commissioners - Dudley Council, Black Country Integrated Care Board and Primary Care Networks (see previous stakeholder update), that all DIHC services are now set to transfer to new provider organisations, DIHC has now commenced the mobilisation and transition phase and are working with recipient organisations to ensure a safe and effective transfer of those services.
The governance, legal and assurance processes for both DIHC and those organisations receiving services and staff are complex. Due to this, there is a revised proposed endpoint to the process of 1 July 2024. As the School Nursing Service has been subject to a procurement led by the Council, this will still transfer as planned on 1st April 2024, however all other services and staff are anticipated to transfer on 1st July 2024, coinciding with the proposed dissolution of the Trust. There is a significant amount of work to be done to achieve these timelines, by ourselves, recipient organisations, NHSE and the Department of Health and Social Care and all partners have committed to do all that is possible to meet the timelines. We expect the majority of work to be completed in March/April 2024, before the NHS England assurance process formally commences.
Although our statutory engagement is with respective Healthwatch’s and staff representatives, as an organisation we have been engaging with key stakeholders for several months now to understand any concerns and to ensure accountability and transparency.
Our priority is to ensure our staff understand and feel secure with the changes ahead and our formal consultation process with staff concludes on 22nd March 2024.
We would like to assure you that services continue to operate as normal and there will be no change to how patients currently access and receive services.
If you would like to discuss any of the information within this communication, please contact
Mr Matthew Hartland
Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust
Chief Executive Officer
