Exclusive: ICBs to shrink to 27 clusters
The consolidation of integrated care boards will result in the 42 organisations moving to 27 clusters, HSJ has learned.
NHSE tells ICBs to slow elective referrals
NHS England has told integrated care boards they need to slow down elective referrals dramatically – nearly eliminating year-on-year growth – with high-profile waiting list targets under threat.
ICBs appoint joint finance chief in national first
Two integrated care boards in the Midlands have appointed the first finance chief to head up two systems.
ICBs missing checks on vulnerable children
Integrated care boards are warning they are failing to carry out health checks for vulnerable children in care because of a lack of paediatricians and rising demand, HSJ has found.
NHSE commends ICBs for ‘strong leadership’
The quality of leadership at 13 integrated care boards has been praised by NHS England in its latest formal assessment of their performance.
Revealed: 14 ICBs cutting spend on the third sector
Nearly half of all integrated care boards are due to cut their spending on voluntary, community and social enterprise services this financial year, HSJ analysis suggests.
‘Safety concerns’ over provider with £500m new contracts
A patient transport company which is taking over contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds is grappling with concerns about service performance and risk to patients.
Three ICSs responsible for a quarter of very long diagnostic waits
Just three integrated care systems were responsible for nearly one in four 13-week waits for key diagnostic tests in recent months, HSJ analysis of official data has found.
First joint finance director sought by ICBs
Two integrated care boards have announced plans to recruit a shared chief finance officer, in what would be the first such move since ICBs were set up in 2022
Revealed: Three-fold variation in emergency response time by ICS
A threefold variation in ambulance response for serious, urgent conditions has been revealed in new figures.
Threefold ICS variation in GP phone access revealed
Patients trying to reach their GP are almost three times as likely to fail to get through in the worst-performing integrated care systems than the best, according to analysis of new annual figures.
Rise in ICSs missing financial plans despite NHSE claim more would deliver
The number of health systems that failed to meet their main financial commitment increased substantially last year, despite NHS England’s chief finance officer previously saying many more areas would “definitely” deliver on their plans.
‘Keep the faith in ICBs’, urges national leader
Policymakers must “keep the faith” in integrated care boards, and should not seek to “carve up” their role by removing responsibility for overseeing provider trusts, a national leader has said.
CIO appointed as trust’s chief for two years
A community trust has appointed its chief information and transformation officer as chief executive in a fixed two-year interim capacity, it has announced.
Six ICBs require staff to work from office at least one day per week
Six integrated care boards have policies which require hybrid working staff to be in the office either one or two days per week.
‘Outstanding’ trust CEO leaving after 13 years
The chief executive of an “outstanding” rated community trust is to step down after 13 years in the role.
Nearly a third of ICSs admit finance plans will be missed
At least 13 integrated care systems have now admitted they will miss the financial plans they signed up for at the start of the year.
Former national director to chair two ICBs
A long-serving hospital leader and former NHS Improvement director will become the first to chair two neighbouring integrated care boards.
Warning notice issued to trust which gave ‘assurances’ care was improving
An acute trust in the East Midlands has been issued with a warning notice and seen its maternity services downgraded from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission after ‘assurances’ that improvements had been made proved misleading.
Two trusts to miss deadline for eliminating ‘distressing’ wards
At least two trusts are set to fall short on a high-profile pledge to eradicate ‘dormitory’ style wards in mental health facilities, with delays caused by cost pressures and shortage of materials and labour.