Changes to ICB ‘footprints’ in England have come into force today, with six new ICBs established, 12 abolished and others ‘clustering’ to make efficiencies.
The move follows the Government’s decision last year to make cuts to healthcare system structures and reduce the running costs of ICBs, redirecting savings into frontline services. The aim was to achieve a 50% reduction in running and programme costs.
It means the number of ICBs has been reduced from 42 to 36.
NHS England has agreed and confirmed several changes including new ICBS being created, which are:
- Norfolk and Suffolk ICB – abolishing Norfolk and Waveney ICB and Suffolk and North East Essex ICB.
- Essex ICB – abolishing Mid and South Essex ICB, incorporating West Essex and North East Essex.
- Central East ICB – abolishing Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB, Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB
- Thames Valley ICB – abolishing Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB and Frimley ICB, and incorporating East Berkshire from Frimley ICB.
- Surrey and Sussex ICB – abolishing Surrey Heartlands ICB and Sussex ICB, and incorporating Surrey wards from Frimley ICB.
- West and North London ICB – abolishing North Central London ICB and North West London ICB.
- Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB – boundary change to incorporate the Hampshire wards of Frimley ICB.
Meanwhile, 20 ICBs are now ‘clustering’, which means although they remain separate legal entities, they will work together through shared leadership and combined teams.
A total of 9 ICBs remain unchanged.
See our map for more details on which are merging to work across bigger areas and which are clustering.
