‘We will work together to make health and wellbeing better than any partner can do alone.’ This is the vision for Kent and Medway Integrated Care System, which brings together NHS, local authorities and the voluntary sector to make a significant difference, improve local services and support healthier living.
The new ambition for the future of health and care of the people of Kent and Medway has been set, following the final agreement of the Integrated Care Strategy.
Previously NHS Kent and Medway, Kent County Council and Medway Council worked together as lead members of Kent and Medway Integrated Care Partnership to produce an interim strategy, setting out how health and care colleagues in the NHS and across councils could work together to make improvements for our communities.
Since then, all partners have been talking to people across Kent and Medway to make sure the shared outcomes are the right ones and to understand what people needed from their health and care services so they could prioritise areas action.
The interim strategy was refined through what we heard and now sets out six outcomes. We will:
Give children and young people the best start in life
We will make sure the conditions and support are in place for all children and young people to be healthy, resilient and ambitious for the future.
Tackle the wider determinants to prevent ill health
We know that lots of other things impact on health (social, economic and environmental factors), we will address these to improve the physical and mental health of all residents, tackling inequalities and focussing on those most vulnerable.
Support happy and healthy living
We will help people manage their own health and wellbeing and be proactive partners in the care so they can live happy, independent and fulfilling lives; adding years to life and life to years.
Empower people to best manage their health conditions
We will support people with multiple health conditions to be part of a team with health and social care professionals working compassionately to improve their health and wellbeing.
Improve health and care services
We will improve access for all to health and care services, providing services as locally as possible and creating centres of excellence for specialist care that improves quality, safety and sustainability.
Support and grow our workforce
Making Kent and Medway a great place for our colleagues to live, learn and work.
Roger Gough, Leader of Kent County Council and Chair of the Integrated Care Partnership, said: “Kent’s ageing population means it’s vital we help residents stay as well as possible, for as long as possible, to improve both quality of life and protect essential health and care services. There’s no doubt that integration and closer joint working between NHS provision and council social care strengthens our response to this major challenge.
“Having collaborated with local communities to map out the plan for Kent and Medway’s Integrated Care System, I am pleased we are able to share our final strategy. Now the hard work to make this vision a reality is underway and KCC has a key role in ensuring aspiration translates into action.
“Despite the Council’s well-documented stretched finances, we are determined to establish new ways to work together; we are also committed to harnessing innovative technology and digital solutions to improve health outcomes for the whole county and to tackle worsening health inequalities that are affecting too many lives.”
Vince Maple, Leader of Medway Council, said: “The health and wellbeing of our residents is really important, and we want to make sure we do as much as we can to support and improve it. I am really pleased with the launch of this strategy - working together as a partnership allows issues across Kent and Medway to be better identified and tackled, with clearly defined desired outcomes.
"I would like to thank everyone who has worked on and contributed to this important document and I look forward to seeing this partnership strengthen even further over time.”
Cedi Frederick, Chair of NHS Kent and Medway, said, “We know the health and wellbeing of the people in Kent and Medway is not improving, in some cases not at all, in others not as fast as we’d like.
“This strategy gives us a joint vision and commits us all to focusing on outcomes, which are going to most improve the lives of people. Thousands of people and many diverse community groups worked with us to develop this strategy. I would like to thank everyone for their time and experience to help us reimagine their health and care.”
