Changes to the Integrated Care Board landscape
Verbal update on the ongoing changes to the Integrated Care Board (ICB) landscape.
Contact: Vicky Dutchburn, Accountable Officer, NHS, West Yorkshire ICB, Kirklees Place.
Minutes:
Vicky Dutchburn, Interim Accountable Officer for the Kirklees Integrated Care Board (ICB), provided an update to the Health and Wellbeing Board on recent developments within the ICB landscape. The Board was advised that at the end of March 2025, notification was received from the Department of Health and Social Care NHS England, indicating that there would need to be a 50% reduction in the workforce. This reduction would apply to ICBs operating both at the local (place) level and across the West Yorkshire regional level.
A deadline was set to achieve this reduction by Quarter 3 of this current financial year, which necessitated a rapid and significant pace to reduce the workforce by 50%. The reduction would apply not only to staffing levels but also to overall running costs.
The Board was informed that since April, work is being undertaken to respond to the notification. It was acknowledged that this will be a challenging process, requiring significant effort to meet the targets set by Quarter 3.
Referring to the presentation, the Board was provided with an updated position on the work undertaken to date, and the work that is ongoing. The information presented outlined the proposed future structure of the health and care system.
The structure would include:
Strength is being built into the blueprints for future provider alliances and collaborations.
It was highlighted that there are four key elements to this, and while these components are being undertaken in isolation and progressing on different timescales, they are all interdependent on each other to move forward. For example, the national and regional teams have been advised that their changes will not be in place until 2027.
The Board was informed that the core ICB is transitioning towards a
Strategic Commissioner model. As part of this shift, many service
delivery functions will either be transferred to other
organisations or be discontinued. The Strategic Commissioner will
focus on work already being undertaken in partnership, with an
emphasis on understanding the local context, developing long-term
plans, commissioning services through appropriate partners to
deliver the strategy, evaluating impact, and maintaining a
continuous improvement cycle.
With regard to future roles emerging from the strategic blueprint released in June, partners across West Yorkshire have reviewed and interpreted the blueprint and made some assumptions. This has informed the identification of key functions and roles required to support delivery, ensuring alignment with regional priorities and the evolving commissioning landscape.
Future roles for the ICB:
- The ICB will be the strategic commissioner for West Yorkshire, convenor of the Integrated Care System, and integrator of providers and services:
- Strategic commissioner – the ICB will ensure that services are planned and delivered in a way that meets the needs of the population both now and in the future. It involves a systematic approach to defining and measuring outcomes, using data and intelligence to make informed decisions about resource allocation and service delivery. ... view the full minutes text for item 8