Integrated care trust to be axed within weeks

A first-of-its-kind integrated care trust – set up as part of NHS England’s “new care model” reforms – is set to be legally dissolved within weeks, with its current chief executive moving to an interim role at a nearby provider. 

Matthew Hartland, currently interim CEO of Dudley Integrated Health and Care Trust and COO at Black Country Integrated Care Board, is joining the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham from October as interim CEO.

His arrival at ROH will coincide with the proposed dissolution of DIHC, the future of which has been under review by BC ICB since January last year.

Subject to approval by the health and social care secretary, the trust – once supposed to hold a “landmark” integrated care contract worth £360m – will cease to exist on 1 October.

Mr Hartland will become ROH’s interim boss, the organisation said, following the temporary departure of the specialist provider’s current CEO Jo Williams.

Last month, it was announced Ms Williams would be joining Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust as its interim CEO in September.

Mr Hartland said: “It is a privilege to have been appointed into this interim role and I’m excited to maintain progress at the ROH.

“It is a special hospital with an excellent reputation. My focus will be maintaining high-quality care and positive performance.”

In an update to stakeholders in August, seen by HSJ, BC chiefs revealed the proposed dissolution of DIHC would take place on 1 October 2024, subject to government approval.

Since 2023, DIHC has only been running around £20m of services, including talking therapies and a primary care mental health service. It also carries out some commissioning activities.

Last month, its mental health services transferred to Black Country Healthcare Foundation Trust while many of its staff were moved to primary care networks across Dudley.

The majority of its remaining functions – including some commissioning work, and the two GP surgeries it still runs – will move to Dudley Group Foundation Trust next month, with the rest transferred to BC ICB.

Mr Hartland joined DIHC in July 2023, but it was set up in 2020 to be a single provider of all primary and community services in the area. It was hoped it would either operate or contract with, all GP practices in the patch, which would be a national first.

NHS England had backed the concept of a new form of integrated care provider and designed a new type of contract which the trust was due to hold, as part of the “new care model” reforms initiated by then CEO Simon Stevens in 2014. 

But just a year after DIHC launched, NHSE rejected the business case for the full integrated care partnership model.

Its decision followed a review which found “hostility” and “poor working relationships” between system partners had hampered the project.

In January 2023, Black Country ICB announced it was considering winding down the trust. As part of these arrangements, Mr Hartland was seconded on a part-time basis to run DIHC as interim CEO.

DHSC was approached for comment.