Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication entitled Working together in 2025/26 to lay the foundations for reform, published on 1 April 2025, if he will extend the time in which ICBs have to respond to the Model ICB once it is published.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a critical role to play as strategic commissioners, improving population health, reducing inequalities, and ensuring access to high quality care. NHS England has circulated a draft of The Model ICB - blueprint document to all ICBs, to assist them in shaping their future plans, including which functions they should focus on, as indicated in Sir James Mackey’s letter to the National Health Service trusts, foundation trusts, and ICBs, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/#:~:text=When%20we%20met%20on%2013,the%20last%20few%20tricky%20weeks.

We expect ICBs to adhere to the timelines set out by NHS England on 1 April 2025, to ensure that ICBs are acting as lead strategic commissioners of health and care services and to ensure that cost savings are directed to frontline NHS health and care services.