> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Health chiefs say changes will “level the playing field” across Staffordshire
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/health-chiefs-say-changes-will-level-the-playing-field-across-staffordshire/
- Published: 2022-09-29T05:55:00.000Z
- Updated: 2022-09-27T06:45:07.000Z
- Description: Health chiefs in Staffordshire say plans will “level the playing field” for people hoping to receive some treatments across the county.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Health, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 19:11, News

Health chiefs in Staffordshire say plans will “level the playing field” for people hoping to receive some treatments across the county.

The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) said changes would include areas such as hearing loss, sterilisation, breast augmentation and reconstruction, and skin removal following significant weight loss.

The move comes following a review launched in 2020.

A meeting last week saw the ICB agree to “harmonise” some areas including the removal of eligibility criteria for hearing aids for adults with mild hearing loss.

Other changes will see standardisation of how services are commissioned such as the agreement to fund breast reconstruction where mastectomies have been required for cancer prevention.

Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, chief medical officer for the ICB, said:

> “This has been a long journey, partially because of Covid, but also because we wanted to make sure we did everything correctly and followed the clinical evidence.  
>  
> “We shall now be talking to our local authority health overview and scrutiny committees to explain how we intend to implement these new policies.”  
>  
> Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones

Further details about the changes are available on [the ICB website](https://staffsstokeics.org.uk/alignment-gives-level-playing-field-across-staffordshire-and-stoke-on-trent/?ref=lichfieldlive.co.uk).