Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to recover the reported deficit of the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board.

2025/26 marks a financial reset year for the National Health Service and the majority of NHS systems remain on track to deliver the plans they agreed at the beginning of the year. At the end of December, NHS systems are overspending by £445 million and six systems account for more than half of the total overspend. 17 systems have delivered in line with their plans. At the same point last year systems had overspent by £1,031 million with only four systems delivering their plans to that point.

Where an organisation is assessed to be significantly off track and amongst the most challenged in the country, NHS England will provide a range of national and regional support, including potential enforcement actions, to help organisations develop individual recovery plans and get back on track. More details on NHS England’s oversight and support for challenged organisations are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-oversight-framework-2025-26/#performance-assessment

Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) has recently updated the forecast for the system and declared a potential overspend of approximately £190 million against the plan it agreed with NHS England at the beginning of the financial year. An external review has been commissioned to understand the drivers behind this recently reported overspend and, working with NHS England’s regional team, the ICB will use the outcomes of that review to develop a sustainable recovery plan.