“I think this is the difference that the ICS is going to make because the NHS, over the last 10 to 20 years that I’ve worked in it, has understandably always focused on sickness. We’ve always thought about what we’re going to do when we get sick and whoever’s going to fix my broken leg or maybe unfortunately have to treat my cancer, respond to mental health issues.
“But I think what we’d like to think we’re going to do in the ICS, working with our partners in local government, is to focus on illness prevention.
“So, in other words, we can have healthier lifestyle options, we’re less likely to get sick. And as a result of that, when we do get sick, we’re probably going to have better access to services because there’s less demand and there’s less pressures.
“That’s what we’re aiming for. It’ll take us a few years to get there but hopefully in the first year or so, people will start to notice those differences, particularly around public health interventions which are aimed at us and supporting us to make those healthier life choices which I can say from personal experience aren’t always easy.”