The Faculty of Public Health welcomes new guidance explaining how local authorities should provide specialist healthcare public health advice to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).
This guidance, developed in collaboration with FPH and the Association of Directors of Public Health, ensures that expert public health input should be embedded into ICB commissioning processes. Directors of Public Health play a key role in coordinating advice across areas, ensuring that decisions are informed by population health needs and evidence-based approaches.
Local authorities have a legal duty under the NHS Act 2006 to provide this advice. It is vital for strategic commissioning, tackling health inequalities, and improving outcomes for communities.
FPH strongly supports these measures, as well as the explicit statements about building healthcare capacity, including training opportunities in public health, which will strengthen integrated care and ensure that public health expertise informs commissioning decisions.
Read the full guidance here.
