Integrated Care Boards: Budgets

Lord Blunkett Excerpts

Wednesday 17th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises a good point about data. Indeed, one of the pieces of work we are doing with ICBs on how they commission services is requiring better data and data analysis. I hope the noble Lord will see the improvements, but I very much take to heart the point he makes.

[Lord Blunkett (Lab)]

My Lords, I hope my noble friend will forgive me for concentrating on the South Yorkshire ICB because of the considerable difficulties that have been experienced locally. I know that she cannot give me a clear answer this afternoon, but given that the previous Health Secretary is no longer in post, and therefore the meeting that Clive Betts MP and I had with him has been somewhat overtaken, will she go back to the department and take a look at the withdrawal of resources from neighbourhood and place, which she quite rightly mentioned, to sustain the bureaucracy rather than the delivery?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

No ICB should be taking that line. My noble friend is aware that in line with the 10-year plan, NHS England has asked integrated care boards to reduce their running costs. I emphasise running costs, which are not the front-line costs. On the meeting with the former Secretary of State, I can assure my noble friend that the information and views given will of course be brought to the attention of the current Secretary of State. NHS England is the body responsible for dealing with ICBs, their performance and their ways of meeting what is required of them.