Coffey: ICBs should not work against ‘our health providers’

Speaking at a fringe event at Conservative party conference last night, Ms Coffey said her department’s links with the NHS were crucial. She explained: ”In terms of thinking about how we work with the NHS, in particular, partnership is a huge way forward that I want to make sure is really at the heart of my department.

“But also, that partnership is clear and local, right across the entire country. I think the biggest thing that came out of the Health and Social Care Act [sic] has been the formal ICB, the integrated care boards…

“But I refer to them as the local NHS, because that’s what we need, we need those eyes and ears on the ground, working in partnership not against our health providers. But working there [locally].

“Because one of the things that I’ve found, just going into the department, just starting to do some quite simple analysis, is actually there is such a variation in what patients experience. And it’s not because some of those providers are doing that deliberately – far from it — they do what they think is the best they can, but let’s try and learn from each other, as well as the priorities that come from the government.”

Ms Coffey also said she was “keen to stay out of the press” in her previous Cabinet role but vowed that “delivery” on health and social care is her top priority, despite the competing demands of her role as deputy prime minister.

She asserted that despite being deputy prime minister, “the majority of my time by far” will be spent on health and social care, and that the new government “is going to be about delivery”.

She then said: “The very fact that you didn’t hear a lot about the Department for Work and Pensions is normally most politicians are desperate to get news, [but] I was very keen to stay out to the press.

“But it’s important that we try and make sure that we do that [deliver] because ultimately, I know personally and of course many loved ones about how the NHS has really helped people at their biggest time of need.”

She was not explicit about whether she also wanted to “stay out of the press” in her current role, or if she recognised this was not possible, as it is high profile and one of government’s top priorities.

Ms Coffey, who cancelled a fringe appearance this morning, also said that though covid “is still with us”, that “we have all as a society learned to live with covid, and that’s what we need to continue to do.”

Speaking about data, Ms Coffey said she’s “not obsessed with apps” but was interested in using data for “an element of transparency and seeing whether there are differences”, adding “it’s not about trying to pick and choose, it’s not about league tables.”

“The only winners are patients when the delivery quality of care rises for everybody,” she added.