Integrated Care Boards: Budgets

Lord Bellingham Excerpts

Wednesday 17th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

No ICB should be taking that line. My noble friend is aware that in line with the 10-year plan, NHS England has asked integrated care boards to reduce their running costs. I emphasise running costs, which are not the front-line costs. On the meeting with the former Secretary of State, I can assure my noble friend that the information and views given will of course be brought to the attention of the current Secretary of State. NHS England is the body responsible for dealing with ICBs, their performance and their ways of meeting what is required of them.

[Lord Bellingham (Con)]

My Lords, the new Norfolk and Suffolk ICB was officially launched on 1 April this year, formed by merging the Norfolk and Waveney ICB with Suffolk. The Minister stated at the time that the streamlining process would reduce running costs by 50%. Can she give a timeline for these savings? Will those figures will be impacted by the inevitable cost of the restructuring?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

To develop further the reply I gave to my noble friend, ICBs have been asked to reduce their running cost allowance to a cap of £19.40 per head of weighted population for the financial year 2026-27, which the noble Lord was asking about. I have to emphasise that by focusing on 36 ICBs and building them around nine clusters, people in ICBs will be able to pool budgets, cut their running costs and be more efficient. I think that is very welcome.