NHS Integrated Care Systems

NHS ICSs are statutory collaborative partnerships between NHS bodies, local authorities, and community organisations, formally established in 2022. Electronic patient record systems in primary and secondary care settings were not connected, and data sharing agreements between settings were absent or limited. At the time of the study, the immaturity of ICSs meant implementation teams were navigating systems with promised rather than achieved integration. Known challenges around interoperability and unclear cross-sector role boundaries were not resolved during the study period. UCLP-PRIMROSE served as a first test for integrated cross-sector working within the emerging ICS framework.