Stephanie Elsy confirmed as chair-designate of BSW Partnership Integrated Care Board

Stephanie Elsy has been confirmed as chair-designate of the BSW Partnership Integrated Care Board (ICB).

Following a robust process, NHS England and NHS Improvement have recommended, and the Secretary of State has agreed, that Stephanie should be NHS ICB chair-designate, ready to take up the post from April 2022 should Parliament confirm the current plans.

Stephanie has been Independent Chair of the BSW Partnership since November 2019 and has worked in the delivery of public services for over 30 years. She was a CEO in the charity sector for 15 years managing community and residential services for people recovering from substance misuse, people with disabilities and people living with HIV and AIDS. She then entered local politics as a Councillor in the London Borough of Southwark in 1995, becoming Chair of Education in 1998 and then Leader of the Council in 1999.

Stephanie’s appointment follows the second reading of the Health and Care Bill.

The Bill contains a series of measures which would formally establish ICSs and give their governing bodies – including an NHS Integrated Care Board (ICBs) – a broader range of responsibilities, empowering them to better join up health and care, improve population health and reduce health inequalities.

While the decisions  of Parliament cannot be pre-empted, receiving a positive vote at Second Reading means there is a degree of confidence that the measures relating to ICSs will become law.

In turn, that means the NHS locally, regionally and nationally has a responsibility to prepare for when those measures are expected to come into effect, which is currently April 2022. 

A key element of this preparation is confirming leaders to take up senior roles for each NHS Integrated Care Board starting with the chair designates.

The next stage of this process will be the confirmation of ICB lead designates, with this process expected to conclude by the end of September.