We successfully supported Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) in delivering their first annual report and accounts as an ICB, ensuring high-quality content, compliance with statutory guidelines, and on-time submission, while making the document more integrated, accessible, and engaging for stakeholders.

Background

NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB commissioned NHS Midlands and Lancashire and NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Units’ Communications and Engagement service to support the delivery of their annual report for 2023/24.

We had previously provided this service to the six clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in the area for many years, but this was the first 12-month annual report for the recently-formed ICB. Each year, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) issues a general accounting manual, templates, and checklists. While there are usually only minor updates, the changes this year were more significant due to the transition from CCGs to ICBs. NHS England Regional teams required a draft submission in April and a final submission of the annual report and accounts by June.

Action

This statutory document was a high priority for the ICB, but the significant workload made it challenging to meet deadlines alongside day-to-day responsibilities.

An experienced editorial manager familiar with the ICB was assigned to oversee the project, providing an end-to-end service from editorial planning to formatting and accessibility checks. Regular meetings with the ICB’s governance, finance, and communications leads began in December to track progress, flag risks, and provide reassurance.

The small working group agreed on checklists, milestones, and approvals. Content was reviewed against guidance, placed correctly into the template, and shared with non-executive directors for feedback and assurance. Multiple proofreads ensured a consistent tone and style, with explanations provided for jargon and acronyms, which were also added to an appendix.

Formatting checks ensured proper application of branded templates, and visual elements like case studies, key figures, and awards were highlighted in coloured boxes to make the document more engaging. Accessibility checks were completed on the 180-page document to ensure compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Impact

The draft submission received positive feedback from NHS England regional teams, who noted:

“I must say it’s of very good quality at this draft stage… there is nothing that overly worries me that you aren’t already planning to update in the final report.”

For the first time, accounts were fully integrated into the Microsft Word document, making the report more accessible and cohesive. The final annual report and accounts were submitted ahead of the June deadline, and a concise annual report summary was created to support the ICB’s annual general meeting in September.

View Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board’s Annual Report

Feedback

“Amy has worked very hard and provided a fantastic service meaning we were able to complete this year’s Annual Report on time and to a high standard. I would highly recommend Amy as she is very knowledgeable and always goes above and beyond expectations. She helped to keep us on track as there were many people involved in writing the Annual Report. This meant we had to work together to coordinate content and ensure everything in the national guidance was covered. Amy also helped to raise and resolve queries, meaning she worked with multiple teams across the ICB and worked very efficiently.” Jess Perkins, Communications and Engagement Manager, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB

“I think it has gone well and having the regular catch-ups with Governance/Comms really helped to keep us on track and deliver to time.” David Skelton, Financial Controller, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB

For more information

For more information and to learn how we can help you, please contact us.