Bucks Health bosses in talks with neighbouring NHS board over "leadership" to save on running costs

NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board, manages the NHS budget and is in charge of commissioning healthcare services for parts of the three counties.

It has done so since integrated care boards replaced the clinical commissioning groups in July 2022. But three years on the health system is in for another major shake-up.

Following the government’s announcement that it plans to abolish NHS England, health bosses nationwide have been ordered to drastically cut management costs.

This has seen all integrated care boards told to cut their running costs in half. In a letter to other NHS chiefs in March, Sir James Mackey said ICBs have a “critical role to play in the future”.

He said that discussions about possible job losses were taking place with government.

The restructure would see a new body formed to include East Berkshire, which is currently covered by the Frimley Integrated Care Board.

It is understood that most integrated care boards will “cluster” with a neighbouring board – in the case of NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West, that will be NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board.

The restructure would see a new body formed to include East Berkshire, which is currently covered by the Frimley Integrated Care Board.

In a statement the board said: “The preferred way forward is the establishment of four South East integrated care boards instead of the current six.

“Geographical boundaries should pay due regard to local government devolution, with local authorities only having one integrated care board in their area; and populations should be no smaller than one million.

“In this context, we have been working closely with colleagues across the South East region and NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board to align our plans for the future.

“The direction of travel is to form a new Integrated Care Board that brings together the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West population and the Berkshire East population currently served by Frimley Integrated Care Board.

“Plans are still being developed and will be subject to regional and national approval in due course. The Integrated Care Board will work closely with system partners and our communities to ensure these changes deliver better outcomes for all.”

Any new structure would be have to be agreed by the Health Secretary.