Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy for the boundaries of the Herts and West Essex Integrated Care System to remain unchanged on 1 April 2022 as one of the national exceptions to the proposal to align integrated care systems with upper tier local authority boundaries set out in the White Paper on Integration and innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all.

Following discussions between the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement, integrated care system (ICS) boundaries which are not aligned with local authority boundaries are being reviewed to ensure future arrangements can support effective partnership working between the National Health Service and local government. Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS has been identified as one of the areas included in this boundary review. NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently undertaking this boundary review exercise and no final decisions have yet been made.

As this work progresses engagement with local areas will take place including with NHS bodies, local authorities and other stakeholders in the affected areas in order to appropriately assess any potential effects a change of ICS boundaries in an area may have, this will include consideration of any potential impact on service providers.