As we approach 1 April, we are about to take an important step as we come together as a single NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board.

For those less familiar with what this means, Integrated Care Boards are responsible for planning and funding health and care services for local populations. As a new organisation, we will manage an annual budget of £4.9 billion to commission safe, high-quality and accessible services for the 1.7 million people who live across Norfolk and Suffolk.

At its core, this is about making sure we are planning services around the needs of our communities and working together to improve outcomes for the people we serve. Our values of kindness, collaboration and ambition will run through all our efforts.

We will demonstrate our values by working closely with partners across the system, including our population, hospitals, GP practices, dentists, pharmacies, community and mental health services, ambulance services, local councils, educational institutions, politicians, and voluntary and community organisations. Most importantly, we will always listen to local people and staff and, where possible, co-produce solutions, using their experiences to improve services.

Bringing Norfolk and Suffolk together as one organisation gives us an opportunity to do this more consistently, more effectively and on a larger scale.

Getting to this point has required significant change. Over the past year, we have been working through a period of transition in response to national requirements to reduce running costs. This has had an impact on colleagues across our organisation, and I want to recognise that this has not been easy. I am very grateful to everyone, past and present, for the professionalism, care and resilience shown throughout.

As we look ahead, there is a real opportunity to build on that work. We are bringing together a strong and experienced executive team, with a shared focus on improving health and care across Norfolk and Suffolk.

I will lead the organisation as Chief Executive, working alongside:

• Richard Watson, Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director of Strategy, Digital and Commissioning, leading our long-term planning and the development of services to meet population needs.
• Professor Frankie Swords, Executive Medical Director, providing clinical leadership to improve quality, safety and outcomes across services.
• Lisa Nobes, Executive Director of Nursing, championing high standards of care, patient experience and safeguarding.
• Mark Burgis, Executive Director of Primary Care and Neighbourhood Health (Norfolk), supporting the development of local, community-based services.
• Maddie Baker-Woods, Executive Director of Primary Care and Neighbourhood Health (Suffolk), leading neighbourhood health approaches across Suffolk.
• Amanda Lyes, Executive Director of People, Governance and Corporate Services, supporting our workforce and ensuring strong organisational governance.
• Howard Martin, Executive Director of Finance, ensuring we use our resources responsibly and sustainably to support the needs of our population.

What matters most is how we work together, with each other, with our partners and with our communities, to lead this organisation with a clear and shared purpose.

Alongside this, we have set a clear direction through our new Population Health and Commissioning Strategy for 2026–2031.

At its heart, the strategy is about helping people in Norfolk and Suffolk to live longer, healthier and happier lives, while making sure our services are sustainable for the future.

The challenges we face are well known. People are living longer, but too many are spending more of those years in poor health. On average, people in Norfolk and Suffolk spend around 63 years in good health. Demand for services continues to grow, waiting times remain too long in some areas, and more people are living with long-term conditions.

We also know these challenges are not felt equally. In some of our most deprived communities, early deaths are around 70% higher, and around 6% of working-age people are unable to work due to health issues. These differences matter, and they are a key part of why this strategy is so important.

If we are to respond effectively, we need to do more than treat illness. We need to prevent it.

That is where population health commissioning comes in. It is about taking a more joined-up and proactive approach. We use data, insight and the voices of our communities to understand need, focus on where we can make the biggest difference, and work with partners to design care around people.

Our strategy is built around four clear ambitions: moving from sickness to prevention, delivering more care closer to home, making better use of digital and data, and working with partners to support wider social and economic development.

These are practical changes that will make a difference to people’s day-to-day lives, including easier access to services, shorter waits for care and treatment, more support closer to home, and better help to stay well for longer.

This is a long-term plan, but it starts now. In the first phase, we will focus on improving access, reducing waiting times and addressing current pressures, while continuing to develop more joined-up, neighbourhood-based care.

Over time, we will go further by embedding prevention, expanding community-based services, making better use of digital tools and data, and strengthening partnerships to support healthier communities.

Ultimately, this is about improving outcomes, reducing inequalities and creating a more sustainable NHS for the future. You can read the full strategy here, or view a summary of the key points here.

I will use this blog in the months ahead to share progress against each of our ambitions, alongside examples of the work already happening across Norfolk and Suffolk to bring this strategy to life.

What gives me confidence is the strength of our staff and the relationships we have built across our system. I would like to thank colleagues right across health and care in Norfolk and Suffolk for the work you do every day. Your commitment will be central to everything we achieve together.

As we formally come together as a new ICB, I am looking forward to building even stronger relationships and a strong sense of belonging, with a shared focus on improving outcomes for our population.

This is an important moment for us. By working together, we have a real opportunity to create a healthier future for Norfolk and Suffolk.