Further plans for the delegation of commissioning functions to integrated care boards in England

On July 30, 2024, NHS England announced the next steps in delegating commissioning responsibilities to local commissioners - integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England has already delegated the commissioning of 59 ‘suitable and ready’ specialized services to ICBs. Since April 2024, the delegation of these 59 services has been fully implemented in three or seven regions (the North West, Midlands, and East of England).

NHS England plans to complete a specialized commissioning delegation in April 2025, delegating the final set of specialized services (the 59 services already delegated in three regions, plus 11 other services) in all seven regions. Delegation agreements will be signed with each ICB, making them legally responsible for commissioning delegated specialized services.

NHS England will retain responsibility for commissioning several specialized services that are not suitable and/or ready for delegation, including all highly specialized services.

Furthermore, NHS England announced its plans to delegate other functions besides specialized commissioning: vaccination services, suitable elements of screening pathways, and child health information services will be delegated to ICBs in April 2026, subject to governance and Secretary of State approval.

See the full details here.

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