Digital leadership earmarked for transfer from ICBs to providers

Digital leadership and transformation functions are being reviewed for transfer from integrated care boards (ICBs) to providers, according to a blueprint published by NHS England. 

More than 18 functions and activities have been flagged for transfer to help ICBs cut 50% from their overheads, including the “transfer [of] digital leadership to providers over time enabled by a national data and digital infrastructure”.

The draft “Model Integrated Care Board – Blueprint”, shared with ICB leaders, also says that options will be explored to transfer General Practice IT out of ICBs, “ensuring [a] consistent offer”.

However population health management –including data and analytics, predictive modelling, risk stratification and understanding inequalities – has been earmarked as a function for
ICBs to “grow and invest in over time”.

Under the proposals, headcount will be reduced at ICB board level “to deliver core purpose and role”, with the removal of board posts relating to the functions being transferred.

Responding to the plans, Lee Rickles, chief information officer at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust and director of Interweave Digital, told Digital Health News: “To effectively transition digital leadership to providers as outlined in the ‘Model Integrated Care Board – Blueprint’, a continued commitment to integrated care system collaboration is essential.

“We must proactively guard against the emergence of localised tribalism.”

No timeframes have been provided for the next steps, which NHSE said would be developed “by working closely with partners nationally and within local systems over the coming months”.

Gary McAllister, chief technology officer – healthcare and public sector at Dell Technologies, told Digital Health News: “This feels like a backwards step and limits the economy of scale opportunities across the NHS.

“ICBs support all care domains, not just providers and therefore digital leadership is required across all sectors of the NHS.

“The more successful NHS programmes have proven that good governance, leadership and digital solutions can work at scale when applied across organisational boundaries, limiting both personal and organisational bias.

“Unless the NHS can begin to create organisation structures that support consolidation across broader health sectors our patients and the workforce will always be met with a fragmented digital experience”.

Glen Burley, financial reset director and accountability director at NHSE, said that the blueprint “marks the first step in a joint programme of work to reshape the focus, role and functions of ICBs” and is linked to work “to reshape regions, the centre and our broader approach to the operating model”.

“This won’t be achieved by simply moving functions to different organisations – instead ICBs need to be working together to merge functions to cut duplication as part of their plans to make significant cost savings,” he added.

Other functions being reviewed for transfer from ICBs include workforce development; primary care; oversight of provider performance; research development and innovation; green plan and sustainability; data collection, management and processing; infection prevention and control; safeguarding; SEND; development of neighbourhood and place-based partnerships; medicines optimisation; pathway and service development programmes; NHS continuing healthcare; estates and infrastructure strategy; and emergency preparedness, resilience and response.