A ‘whole health economy’ approach for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough gives the best chance of meeting the challenges faced by a system which needs to be more ‘joined-up’ and much-loved organisations which need to work in new ways.

Fit for the Future means focusing less on the governance and structures of individual institutions, and more on shaping services so that they meet the needs of patients.

This will bring – and require – transformational change in our health and care organisations.

The Health and Care Executive comprises the Chief Executive of all of the partner organisations. It provides leadership and has joint ownership of the Fit for the Future, programme, which will be the main vehicle through which each organisation transforms its own services, ensuring that the best decisions are made collectively for patients.

In the Future, it is anticipated that a single executive team will be brought together, with management responsibility for strategic development and day-to-day leadership of health and care services provided by all of these organisations.

At this stage, Fit for the Future has established a Clinical Advisory Group to oversee all of its work and individual Clinical Working Groups to look in depth at services for clusters of patients with similar needs.

An immediate priority is to involve patients and local people in helping to set the priorities and begin to ‘co-design’ a new health and care system.