black country integrated care system ics

What black country integrated care system ics does

Black Country Integrated Care System (ICS), branded as 'Healthier Futures,' is a statutory NHS body established on 1 July 2022 under the Health and Care Act 2022. It coordinates integrated health and social care delivery across four local authority areas — Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton — in the West Midlands, England, serving approximately 1.2 million residents. The ICS brings together the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) as the statutory commissioning body, the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP), four place-based partnerships, provider collaboratives, voluntary sector partners, and primary care networks under a unified governance structure. It does not deliver clinical care directly except through programs it funds or coordinates; rather, it commissions and orchestrates services delivered by acute trusts, mental health trusts, ambulance services, primary care, care homes, and community organizations.

The ICS's core technology and program portfolio includes virtual wards (including the first pediatric virtual wards in England, with capacity for 290 beds), remote patient monitoring via Docobo's DOC@HOME system deployed across 30+ care homes and 1,600+ beds, the FREED deterioration-recognition pathway trained to 146+ care homes, Mako SmartRobotics-assisted surgery at Walsall Manor Hospital (£1.8m investment), two Community Diagnostic Centres, primary care respiratory hubs, and digital tools including the Phio physiotherapy app, NHS App support, and the TeamNet practice management platform. Integration channels include Microsoft Teams and Zoom for training delivery and Google Analytics for web performance monitoring.

The revenue model is public-sector block funding rather than commercial pricing. The ICS receives NHS England allocations and local authority contributions funded through general taxation, with services provided free at the point of use. There is no disclosed revenue figure, no private capital, no M&A activity, and no traditional ownership structure; it is a collaborative governance arrangement overseen by NHS England. The listed headcount of 39 reflects the core ICB administrative function rather than the wider NHS workforce coordinated by the system.

Name

black country integrated care system ics

Legal name

Black Country Integrated Care System

Website

https://blackcountryics.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black Country ICS is a statutory NHS body coordinating integrated health and social care across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton for approximately 1.2 million residents. It commissions and orchestrates services delivered by local NHS trusts, councils, and care homes, funded through NHS England allocations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Integrated Healthcare Services

NAICS

Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

Keywords

• Integrated care services
• NHS commissioning
• Population health management
• Virtual ward care
• Community health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dudley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public NHS Funding: The ICS is publicly funded through NHS England allocations and local authority contributions. Services are provided free at point of use to patients, funded through taxation-based public healthcare spending.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Black Country ICS is a statutory NHS integrated care body that plans, commissions, and coordinates integrated health and care services across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton. It partners with NHS provider trusts, local authorities, primary care, and voluntary sector organisations to deliver population health management, prevention, urgent and emergency care, planned care, mental health, and community-based services funded by NHS England allocations. The ICS oversees and aligns initiatives such as virtual wards, remote monitoring in care homes, community diagnostic centres, robotic surgery, and integrated care pathways.

Product overview

Black Country Integrated Care System (ICS), branded as 'Healthier Futures,' operates as an integrated healthcare coordination organization rather than a software product company. The ICS brings together NHS services, local authorities, and partners to plan and deliver joined-up health and social care services. The technology portfolio includes clinical care delivery systems (Mako SmartRobotics surgical platform, DOC@HOME remote monitoring), virtual care programs (virtual wards for adults and children), community diagnostic infrastructure, and digital health tools (NHS App support, Phio physiotherapy app, TeamNet practice management). Core services span remote monitoring in care homes, deterioration detection pathways (FREED), respiratory hubs, diabetes management programs, and social prescribing. Training and workforce development are delivered through the Black Country Training Hub using digital platforms including MS Teams and Zoom.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Black Country Voices: A community involvement initiative allowing local residents to help shape health and care services in the Black Country.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18.5% reduction in hospital admissions through remote monitoring technology implementation
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS foundation trust providing mental health and learning disability services across the Black Country. Key partner in integrated care delivery and provider collaborative.
• Dudley Metropolitan Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner in the ICS, working with NHS services to coordinate health and social care delivery in Dudley.
• Sandwell Metropolitan Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner in the ICS, working with NHS services to coordinate health and social care delivery in Sandwell.
• Walsall Metropolitan Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner in the ICS, working with NHS services to coordinate health and social care delivery in Walsall.
• City of Wolverhampton CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner in the ICS, working with NHS services to coordinate health and social care delivery in Wolverhampton.
• The Dudley Group NHS Foundation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcute hospital trust providing hospital services in Dudley, partner in provider collaborative.
• Walsall Healthcare NHS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcute hospital trust providing hospital and community services in Walsall.
• The Royal Wolverhampton NHS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcute hospital trust providing hospital services in Wolverhampton, lead trust for Black Country Provider Collaborative.
• Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcute hospital trust providing hospital services in Sandwell and West Birmingham.
• West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmbulance service trust providing emergency and urgent care transport across the West Midlands region.
• HealthwatchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent consumer champion for health and social care, providing patient voice and engagement across the Black Country.
• Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) SectorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharities, community organizations, and social enterprises partnering with the ICS to deliver community health and wellbeing services.
• West Midlands PoliceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolice force partner in Health and Housing initiatives addressing wider determinants of health.
• West Midlands Fire ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFire service partner in Health and Housing initiatives and community safety programmes.
• DocobocoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing DOC@HOME remote monitoring system enabling care home staff to record vital signs and transmit to clinical teams for monitoring and timely intervention.
• whg (Midlands' landlord)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing partner delivering diabetes champion programme and social prescribing service ('H Factor') to support health and wellbeing of residents.
• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational NHS body providing funding and strategic direction for remote monitoring technology and other ICS initiatives.
• Health Education England (HEE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational body that funded the initial 12-month FREED pathway project in 2020 (£1.8m funding for robotic surgery at Walsall Manor Hospital from NHS England).

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NHS England: National body providing oversight, funding, and policy direction for all 42 English ICBs, including Black Country. Comparable as the broader incumbent in the integrated-care operating environment, although at national rather than regional scale.

Direct peers

• NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board: Another English statutory ICB established under the Health and Care Act 2022 coordinating NHS, local authority, and VCSE partners across ten boroughs. Most directly comparable as a peer ICS facing the same operating model, statutory duties, and NHS England oversight structure.
• NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board: Smaller-metro ICB serving populations across Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire. Comparable as a place-based partnership model of similar operational scale with several local authority areas and acute trusts under a single commissioning board.
• NHS North West London Integrated Care Board: Large urban ICB covering eight North West London boroughs with eight place-based partnerships. Comparable for the same place-based partnership structure, multi-trust integration challenges, and use of virtual wards and remote monitoring at scale.
• NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board: Adjacent ICB in the West Midlands operating with a similar urban, high-deprivation footprint to the Black Country. Comparable because of the shared regional NHS England oversight, similar population health challenges, and overlapping provider networks.
• NHS Devon Integrated Care Board: Single-ICB structure covering Devon with multiple place-based partnerships and acute provider trusts. Operationally comparable as an NHS statutory body with the same commissioning and population health duties under the Health and Care Act 2022.
• NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board: Four-place ICB (Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield) with a similar industrial-region demographic profile, place-based partnerships, and provider collaborative structure. Closely comparable in governance and operating model.

Others

• Health Innovation West Midlands: Regional health innovation network covering the same West Midlands geography as Black Country ICS. Comparable as an enabling/ecosystem partner that supports adoption of innovations such as remote monitoring, virtual wards, and robotics across the same provider base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blackcountryics
• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackCountryICS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-country-integrated-care-system-ics

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about black country integrated care system ics