Two Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) have outlined they will appoint three primary care representatives to their Board: two more than is mandated.
According to their constitutions – published last week – both Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB and Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB have stated they will appoint three members to represent primary care at a system level.
As set out in the Health and Care Act 2022, one ICB will sit in each of the 42 Integrated Care System (ICS) areas and will assume commissioning functions from CCGs from 1 July 2022.
However, ICBs are only required to appoint one representative from primary care, stoking fears that the GP voice would be diminished with the loss of CCGs.
In its constitution, Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB outlines that while one of these three partners may be non-clinical, two must be either partner, locum or salaried GPs.
Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB’s constitution suggests they must be a healthcare professional ‘either actively working’ or has recently working for a primary medical service in the ICB area.
The 42 constitutions indicate the majority (25) will appoint just one primary care member, with 15 appointing two and two appointing three.
A spokesperson from Bedfordshire said: ‘We developed our partner board member structure with our ICS partners and sought to achieve a balance between NHS Trusts, primary medical services and local authority partner members.’
It comes as a number of ICBs outlined they intend to appoint only PCN directors, leading to criticism this will restrict the talent available.
| ICB | Number of primary care Board members |
| Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes | 3 |
| Hertfordshire and West Essex | 3 |
| Birmingham and Solihull | 2 |
| Black Country | 2 |
| Cheshire and Merseyside | 2 |
| Coventry and Warwickshire | 2 |
| Dorset | 2 |
| Frimley | 2 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 2 |
| Herefordshire and Worcestershire | 2 |
| Kent and Medway | 2 |
| North Central London | 2 |
| North East and North Cumbria | 2 |
| North East London | 2 |
| Northamptonshire | 2 |
| Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin | 2 |
| Suffolk and North East Essex | 2 |
| Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | 1 |
| Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire | 1 |
| Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West | 1 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 1 |
| Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly | 1 |
| Derby and Derbyshire | 1 |
| Devon | 1 |
| Gloucestershire | 1 |
| Greater Manchester | 1 |
| Humber and North Yorkshire | 1 |
| Lancashire and South Cumbria | 1 |
| Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | 1 |
| Lincolnshire | 1 |
| Mid and South Essex | 1 |
| Norfolk and Waveney | 1 |
| North West London | 1 |
| Nottingham and Nottinghamshire | 1 |
| Somerset | 1 |
| South East London | 1 |
| South West London | 1 |
| South Yorkshire | 1 |
| Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent | 1 |
| Surrey Heartlands | 1 |
| Sussex | 1 |
| West Yorkshire | 1 |
