Revealed: HSJ awards ICS of the year

West Yorkshire and Harrogate ICS’ winning entry focused on collaborating to improve people’s health and wellbeing. In particular, “sector leaders saw they could put the person or community at the heart of the model through local integrated plans, working together to share good practice and reducing variation in care at a system-wide level”. 

This is the first time the category has run as integrated care system of the year, having previously been known as integrated care partnership of the year.

Sussex Health and Care Partnership ICS was highly commended in the category for its development of system work during the pandemic. 

Intersystems was this year’s award partner for the ICS of the year category. 

All the 2021 HSJ Award winners were announced last night at a glittering event hosted by comedian Sue Perkins, alongside HSJ editor Alastair McLellan. It marked a return to the awards being held in person — the 2020 ceremony was delayed before being held virtually in March 2021 due to lockdown restrictions. 

ICSs are in the process of designating chairs and chiefs for their integrated care boards, ahead of the organisations becoming statutory, which is planned for April 2022. West Yorkshire and Harrogate has named Bradford District Care Foundation Trust chair Cathy Elliott as chair designate and current ICS lead Rob Webster as chief designate. 

The ICS won an HSJ Award at the 2020 event for system leadership initiative of the year. Mr Webster was named the number one trust CEO in HSJ’s ‘Top 50 chief executives’ earlier this year, when he was still leading South West Yorkshire Partnership FT alongside his ICS role.