Yesterday we marked the last North Central London Integrated Care Board chaired by Mike Cooke before he stands down next month.
Mike has chaired the Integrated Care Board for the past four years, through a significant restructure programme, and as Integrated Care Systems have come into existence (he’s also the Chair of the Integrated Care System).
As the former CEO of Camden Council, Mike has been brilliantly placed to help us navigate new ways of working and form stronger partnerships and relationships, including with other local NHS partners, our local Councils, the voluntary sector, and wider health and social care system – all with the shared ambition of improving the health and wellbeing of people across North Central London.
As ever, it was a packed agenda for the Board itself, with updates on Start Well – and a major programme of consultation we’ve been undertaking into how we make maternity services across our area the very best they can be.
We also talked about health inequalities, our People, Culture and Equalities Annual Report, the NHS Sexual Safety Charter, and North Central London infrastructure strategy, amongst many other items.
Our CEO, Frances O’Callaghan said we “couldn’t have had a better chair” and thanked Mike for his “calmness and support” on behalf of colleagues across the system.
Mike said: “We’ve been on quite a journey. What’s struck me has been that this is a fantastic partnership full of superb organisations and superb people. There is enormous passion to deliver for patients and local residents and to tackling profound inequalities. It’s this mission which has kept me going and I know it will keep you all going.”