Burton and Uttoxeter’s Member of Parliament, Kate Kniveton, has met with Peter Axon, the Chief Executive Officer of the new Integrated Care Board (ICB) for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
Last month, ICBs were introduced across England to replace the previous existing Clinical Commissioning Groups. ICBs now have the responsibility for working with NHS groups, local authorities, and others, to deliver joined up health services and treatments to meet the needs of residents in their area.
The local MP met with Mr Axon to hear about the current challenges facing the NHS in Staffordshire, which are not dissimilar to other areas across the country. These include the backlog created by the pandemic and reducing the amount of time people experience ill-health across their lifespan. Prevention also remains a key focus for the NHS and ICB with further efforts needed from all relevant groups to improve health and wellbeing education such as the ‘stop smoking’ campaigns.
The MP and health chief also had very positive discussions about the possibility of a new walk-in centre for Burton to improve the locality of health services in the area. Mr Avon agreed to take the MP’s suggestion away and ask his team to look into the possibility of new health facilities in the town centre.
Commenting, Kate Griffiths MP said:
“Integrated Care Boards were introduced to ensure that health and care services are more joined up and I was pleased to meet with Peter to hear about how Staffordshire and Stoke’s local ICB has been getting on since its inception.
“I am continuing to push for more localised health facilities in both town centres to ensure people can access better health services more locally to them. I am grateful to Peter for showing enthusiasm for the idea of new facilities in Burton town centre and for agreeing to go away and look into the idea further.”
