Nurse leadership in new NHS systems

We are on the brink of significant changes being made in the NHS, associated with the much-awaited Long Term Plan (LTP) (NHS England, 2019). This will include a focus on integrated care systems (ICSs) and the establishment of merged clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), local place- or borough-based boards and primary care networks (PCNs). Each of these new configurations will impact primary and community care nursing. So, are we ready for it? And, more importantly, do politicians and healthcare policy makers recognise the value of the nursing contribution to this system of systems? I fear not.

If the plan is to work, the NHS will need to ensure that its services are deliverable and affordable and that it answers the test to enable care to shift out of hospitals and closer to people's homes. In doing so, the plan is expected to give local health leaders the freedom to shape and develop the services required in each area. Initial local system plans are required by September 2019, with shadow form implementations to follow soon after, and formal establishment in April 2020. However, we need to question where nurse leadership features in every level of the new ICSs.