Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued on when the absence of senior leadership may necessitate intervention by a commissioner in an integrated care board.

Integrated care board (ICB) chairs are appointed by NHS England subject to the approval of my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in line with NHS England’s guidance, where the ICB chair position has become vacant before a successor can be approved by the Secretary of State, the ICB board may be chaired by an acting chair, which is normally, but not always, the deputy chair. The ICB governance guidance, updated in July 2024, made it a requirement for all ICBs to have a deputy chair. Information on further related requirements is available in the guidance at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/guidance-on-integrated-care-board-constitutions-and-governance/

ICB chief executives are appointed by the ICB chair subject to the approval of NHS England. All ICBs are required to have an Accountable Officer; an Acting CEO can cover temporary periods of absence.