“We want to hear directly from the people working on the ground—how does it feel, what’s working, and where are the challenges?”

In September 2024, North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) published its five year Clinical Conditions Strategic Plan, outlining the organisation’s ambitious plans to help people living across the North East and North Cumbria to live longer, healthier lives. In a time of immense pressure on the NHS, this framework is designed to tackle the region’s most pressing health challenges while ensuring the voices of the workforce are central to its implementation.

We caught up with the ICB’s Executive Medical Director, Dr Neil O’Brien to discuss what this plan means for frontline practitioners, patients, and the future of integrated care.

In addition to his ICB role, Dr O’Brien is a GP in County Durham, where he has worked for over 20 years.  Prior to this role he has also worked as Chief Clinical Officer for a number of North East Clinical Commissioning Groups. Neil is also the Chair of the Urgent and Emergency Care Network, and the Healthier and Fairer Advisory Group, which works to improve population health and reduce health inequalities.

A clear set of priorities

The Clinical Conditions Strategic Plan identifies a set of priority areas, including lung cancer, cardiovascular health, diabetes, and children’s oral health. These conditions were chosen based on their profound impact on the population.

“These are the conditions that are having the greatest effect on mortality and morbidity,” Neil explained. “And crucially, they’re areas where we know we can make a difference.”

For the primary care workforce, these priorities provide a clear direction for the future. However, as Neil highlights, achieving progress will require collaboration across every level of the health and care system, with primary care playing a key role.

Engaging the workforce

One of the key questions raised during the discussion was how the lived experiences of those working in general practice and community services will feed into the implementation of the plan.

Neil was unequivocal: the voices of primary care staff will be front and centre. “Early this year, we’re going to conduct a listening exercise with general practice,” he said. “We want to hear directly from the people working on the ground—how does it feel, what’s working, and where are the challenges?”

This exercise will form the foundation of a detailed implementation plan for Integrated Neighbourhood Teams, with a specific focus on ensuring that general practice is resilient and equipped to meet rising demands.

“For now, the Clinical Conditions Strategic Plan is a broad set of aspirations,” Neil explained. “But as we engage with the workforce and community partners, we’ll begin to flesh out the detailed steps required to deliver on those goals.”

Supporting primary care

For many working in general practice, the Clinical Conditions Strategic Plan represents both an opportunity and a challenge. While the plan provides a roadmap for addressing key health priorities, the workforce will need support to deliver on its ambitions.

Neil acknowledged the immense strain on general practice but emphasised that the North East and North Cumbria have a strong foundation to build upon.

“We’ve got more GPs per registered population than many other parts of the country,” he said. “And over the years, we’ve used skill mix well to strengthen general practice.”

Even so, he stressed the importance of bolstering resilience across the system. “The demands on everyone’s time are greater than ever, but I believe we’re starting from a very good point,” he said.

The plan also highlights the role of other primary care providers—pharmacists, optometrists, and dentists—in tackling key health issues. For example, improving children’s oral health will require significant engagement with NHS dentistry.

Sharing and scaling success

As part of the strategic plan’s rollout, sharing best practice will be critical to achieving its goals. Neil pointed to Boost learning academy, an online platform developed by the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, as a valuable resource for the primary care workforce.

“The academy is part of the Boost a learning and improvement community where anyone can share best practice and access improvement methodologies,” he explained. “I’d encourage people to use it—it’s a way for us to learn from one another and build on what’s already working.”

Survey responses gathered by NENC PCC also revealed a deep sense of pride among practitioners for the innovative work happening in the region. One respondent invited healthcare leaders to visit North Tyneside, where Integrated Neighbourhood Teams have shown that high-quality preventative care can be delivered at minimal cost.

This spirit of collaboration and innovation is central to the Clinical Conditions Strategic Plan. “It’s about recognising that what we’re doing is worth sharing and scaling across the region,” Neil said.

A vision for the future

At its core, the Clinical Conditions Strategic Plan is about aligning efforts across the system to improve health outcomes for patients while supporting those who deliver care. For the primary care workforce, this means having a voice in shaping the future and being equipped with the tools, resources, and partnerships needed to succeed.

“We’re starting with general practice because it’s under the greatest strain,” Neil said. “But this is just the beginning. As we expand the engagement exercise to other pillars of primary care, the insights we gather will guide our approach to integrated care.”

While challenges remain, the plan offers a roadmap for tackling them head-on. For Neil, the key to success lies in collaboration. We’ve got a strong foundation to build on—and together, we can deliver the care our communities deserve.”