Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) public accountability during the implementation of the new integrated care board cluster for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

To deliver the required reduction in running costs in 2025/26, a number of integrated care boards (ICBs) will cluster together to share leadership and functions so resources can be directed to frontline services. ICBs have a crucial role as strategic commissioners of local healthcare services and remain responsible for ensuring the provision of services to meet the needs of the populations they serve, including those from small and coastal towns.

While clustering ICBs will work together through shared leadership and combined teams, they will remain separate legal entities. NHS England shared a ‘Model ICB blueprint’ with ICBs in May 2025 to help them form their plans. This makes clear that ICBs are expected to maintain clear, accountable leadership with effective governance during the transition and beyond.