Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are patient representatives on the boards of integrated care boards and on primary care, commissioning and assurance committees; and if he will make a statement.

The Health and Care Act 2022 sets out minimum membership requirements for integrated care boards (ICBs) that includes representatives from NHS Trusts, Primary Care and Local Authorities and does not mandate patient representation on ICBs. However, the local areas can, by local agreement, go beyond the legislative minimum requirements in order to address their local needs.

Primary care, commissioning and assurance committees are non-statutory ICB committees. There are no national requirements set by NHS England for how ICBs constitute any committee responsible for the discharge of any delegated primary care responsibilities including patient representation.

ICBs’ constitutions are expected to include principles and arrangements for how the ICB will work with patients and communities. ICBs are also legally bound (under section 13Q of the National Health Service Act 2006) to involve the public in the commissioning of services for National Health Service patients.

Currently there are no plans for the Secretary of State to make a statement to mandate any additional requirements for ICBs.