Integrated Health Organisations (IHO's) at the heart of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC's) new 10 Year Plan
- Lloyd Price
- Jun 24
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 25
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the UK has recently drafted a 10-Year Health Plan that places Integrated Health Organisations (IHOs) at its core. This plan signifies a radical reform in the structure and governance of the NHS, aiming to shift care from hospitals to communities, leverage technology, and prioritise prevention.
Here's a breakdown of the key aspects related to IHOs in the DHSC's new plan:
What are Integrated Health Organisations (IHOs)?
According to a draft of the plan seen by HSJ, the strongest existing Foundation Trusts (FTs) will be allowed to become "Integrated Health Organisations."
These IHOs will be given the significant responsibility of managing the entire healthcare budget for a designated local population. This is a concept similar to "accountable care organizations" in the USA.
The goal is to avoid the current issue where improving preventative care in one type of provider (e.g., GP practices) doesn't necessarily benefit another (e.g., hospitals), by creating a single entity responsible for the whole pathway of care for a population.
Role of IHOs in the 10-Year Plan
Devolution and Local Control: The plan emphasizes devolving decision-making to local leaders, with IHOs having substantial autonomy over how care is delivered and budgets are managed for their local populations.
Shift from Hospital to Community: A major thrust of the plan is to move care away from traditional hospital settings and into the community. IHOs will be central to this, as they will be responsible for commissioning and integrating services closer to people's homes, including primary care, community health, mental health, and social care.
Focus on Prevention: By managing the entire budget for a population, IHOs are incentivized to invest in preventative care and early intervention, aiming to keep people healthier and reduce demand on acute services.
Integration of Services: IHOs are designed to break down existing silos between different healthcare providers and social care, promoting person-centred and coordinated care across various settings. This involves fostering closer working relationships between GPs, community services, mental health teams, social care, and the voluntary sector.
Accountability for Outcomes: While IHOs will have more autonomy, they will also be held accountable for health outcomes within their designated population.
Wider Context of the 10-Year Plan:
The plan seeks to achieve three major "shifts":
From hospital to community: Greater investment and emphasis on primary and community services.
From analogue to digital: Making better use of technology, including AI, and enabling patients to manage their health more effectively through digital platforms like the NHS App
From sickness to prevention: Shifting the focus from treating illness to preventing it in the first place, through public health initiatives and early intervention.
The plan also aims to speed up clinical trials, make it easier for patients to participate, and restore the UK's position as a global leader in health research and innovation.
Governance changes are significant, with elected mayors potentially taking over from local authority leaders on Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), and the DHSC itself taking a more direct role in approving "new FTs" (IHOs).
In essence, the DHSC's 10-Year Health Plan envisages IHOs as powerful, locally-led entities with significant control over budgets and care delivery, driving a fundamental transformation towards more integrated, preventative, and digitally-enabled healthcare in the UK.
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