Thank you for taking the time to contact me and for raising your concerns.
The Government has embarked on another top-down re-organisation of the NHS in England, and the potential impact of reductions to ICB budgets on the services they provide to the public.
My colleagues in Parliament have raised several questions about the costs, details and implications of the abolition of NHS England and reductions to ICB budgets. I regret that the Government has not provided clarity on many of these questions.
To address financial pressures facing ICBs, NHS England has stated that legislation may be required to reduce the legal duties on ICBs to provide certain services. Current legal duties on ICBs include the requirement to provide dental services and palliative and end of life care services.
The wider reorganisation of English local government provides an opportunity to align the boundaries between Integrated Care Boards and local Councils.
The Spending Review 2025 clarified that redundancy costs for NHS England and ICBs will need to be paid from Departmental budgets. I am concerned that this has the potential to further reduce the funding available for frontline services in our area and across the country.
I will continue to monitor further developments around the reorganisation of ICBs, and will hold Ministers to account for decisions made at a national level.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
