Frimley ICB is to split into three parts in the new configuration of ICBs across England, it has said.
East Berkshire will come together with Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire ICB to form a new Thames Valley ICB by the target date of April 2026.
Meanwhile, Surrey Heath, Ash and Farnham areas will join Surrey and Sussex ICB, and North East Hampshire will align to Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB.
The new Thames Valley ICB will serve around 2.6 million people.
Frimley ICB said: ‘The proposed NHS Thames Valley ICB will serve people living in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire. Its goal is to improve health across the region and make sure everyone has access to high-quality care — now and in the future.
‘Together, NHS Frimley and Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB submitted a joint plan to NHS England outlining the approach to coming together as one organisation. Any new organisation is subject to Secretary of State approval.’
It added that the ICBs would be engaging with staff and key partners over the next few months to design the new organisation, but that ‘regrettably’ this will include staff redundancies.
It also said ICBs across the South East were also looking to collaborate and deliver services at scale to reduce duplication, enhance quality and ‘make the best use of collective resources’.
NHS England has said 13 ICBs will not be clustering (see table below), although this includes Mid and South Essex which will be ‘working closely’ with West Essex and North East Essex geographies, and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ICB, with which North East Hampshire will ‘align’ (see map).
The clusters will be implemented during Q3 of 2025/26, it added.
ICBs were told in March they must cut their running costs by around 50% by October 2025.
In May it was revealed that the ICB running cost envelope will be reduced to £18.76 per head, and that this target must be reached by the end of Q3 in 2025/26.
The chief executive of NHS England, Sir James Mackey, revealed earlier this year that the variation in spend per ICB per head previously ranged from £49 to just less than £21 per head, therefore targets might be different for different ICBs.
ICBs not clustering
- Mid and South Essex* – not clustering but will work closely with West Essex and North East Essex geographies from relevant ICBs.
- North East London ICB
- South East London ICB
- South West London ICB
- Humber and North Yorkshire ICB
- North East and North Cumbria ICB
- South Yorkshire ICB
- West Yorkshire ICB
- Cheshire and Merseyside ICB
- Greater Manchester ICB
- Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB
- Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB* – will ‘align with North East Hampshire, currently part of Frimley ICB
- Kent and Medway ICB
