NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) manages the NHS budget and is in charge of commissioning healthcare services for the two counties.
It has done so since ICBs replaced the old clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in July 2022.
But just three years on the health system is in for another big shake-up.
CONCERNS: Dame Harriett Baldwin says changes have not had the scrutiny of Parliament (Image: Submitted)
The Government wants to cut the cost of ICBs by 50 per cent, a figure NHS England chief executive Sir James Mackey has said “will be a challenge”.
In a letter to other NHS chiefs in March, he said ICBs have a “critical role to play in the future” but needed to “move on this as quickly as we can”.
He added that discussions with government colleagues were taking place about possible job losses.
It is understood that most ICBs will “cluster” with a neighbouring board – in the case of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire, that will be NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB.
A spokesperson for NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB said: “To respond to the challenges set out by NHS England and the Government over the last couple of months, it’s clear that clustered and shared leadership arrangements will be necessary both to provide the economies of scale that strategic commissioners will need, as well as to deliver the significant running costs reductions.
“We are currently working with NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB to explore what these proposed shared management and leadership arrangements could look like.
“The work to develop new structures over the coming months will be informed by these proposals.”
West Worcestershire MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has concerns about the reorganisation taking place at the same time as Labour is also pushing ahead with plans to restructure local government.
Dame Harriett said: “These are important changes that have not been subject to the scrutiny of Parliament and it seems that the new boundaries are also being drawn up without any proper local consultation or scrutiny, and without any expert local views.
“Our local police tell me they are concerned about these changes which risk putting the most vulnerable people at greater risk of slipping out of the normal support systems.
“I have urged the home secretary to discuss this matter with her cabinet colleagues and ensure that all the correct steps are taken to protect all of our local people and give them the best possible public services.”