Vaccination: Integrated Care Boards
(asked on 23rd October 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what their expected key milestones are between now and April 2027 for the transfer to Integrated Care Boards of responsibility for the commissioning of vaccination services; and whether they will publish the related safe transfer checklist to enable external stakeholders to monitor ICB readiness.
Vaccination and screening commissioning functions are due to be delegated from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care directly to integrated care boards (ICBs) from 1 April 2027. The key milestones between now and April 2027 are set out in the table below. The Safe Transfer Checklist is an operational tool for use by NHS England and ICB teams and is not intended for formal publication.
Area | Milestone | Target Date | Progress |
Governance | ICB operating models confirmed, i.e. Offices for Pan ICB Commissioning (OPICs) | Mar 26 | Complete |
Confirmation of services transferring | Aug 26 | Complete | |
Submission of draft Delegation Agreement, Oversight Framework to Ministers | Dec 26 | On target | |
Responsibility transfers to ICBs and formal establishment of OPIC | Apr 27 | On target | |
Readiness | Undertake scenario testing | Mar 26 | Complete |
Develop and release OPIC Toolkit | Jun 26 | Complete | |
Develop and share Safe Transfer Checklist (DST) | May 26 | Complete | |
Regional reporting on preparatory work and readiness (progress on the STC) | Oct 26 to Mar 27 | On target | |
Key information shared with ICBs via the FutureNHS platform | Nov 26 | On target | |
Deliver additional support activity - e.g. webinars | Jan to Mar 27 | On target | |
Delegation Agreement | Finalise Delegation Agreement from the Secretary of State to ICBs | Nov 26 | On target |
Populate Delegation Agreement / Department of Health and Social Care signing | Jan 27 | On target | |
ICB Board approval / signing | Mar 27 | On target | |
Delegation Agreement takes effect | Apr 27 | On target | |
People | Consultation with staff | Timing tbc |
|
Staff transfer to ICB OPIC host | Apr 27 | On target | |
Finance, planning and contracting | Finalise funded budget for services transferring / delegating and being retained | Timing tbc |
|
Confirm financial compliance | Dec 26 | On target | |
Develop, review and update standard operating procedures | Jan 27 | On target |