Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Not Addressed
We remain deeply concerned that cuts to ICBs are insufficiently thought through and will undermine...
Recommendation
We remain deeply concerned that cuts to ICBs are insufficiently thought through and will undermine their ability and capacity to carry out their functions. It is unclear what oversight roles ICBs will retain under NHSE’s plans to make them into strategic commissioners. On 1 April 2025, NHSE announced that ICBs had to make 50% cost reductions. To achieve this, ICBs are planning large scale redundancies and NHSE will transfer some of ICB’s current functions away from ICBs. The planned reduction in resource across all ICBs risks undermining well-performing ICBs while limiting the ability of poorly-performing ICBs to improve. This is a matter that we expect to return to during the course of this Parliament. 4 recommendation NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care should set out what further reassurances they can provide to the Committee that ICBs’ cost reductions will not impact on ICBs’ ability and capacity to carry out their functions effectively. 5 1 Support and oversight of support and care for people living with frailty Introduction
Government Response Summary
The government stated it agrees with the recommendation but then provided a response entirely focused on the net zero research and innovation portfolio, failing to address the committee's concerns about ICB cost reductions or provide reassurances from DHSC and NHSE.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. consider risk appetite and tolerance for programmes in the current net zero R&I portfolio as set out in the Delivery Plan and develop an overall government risk appetite statement by Spring 2024. This Innovation Delivery Board will regularly monitor progress of the portfolio at each of its meetings. DESNZ intends to publish a progress update on the Net Zero Research and Innovation Framework Delivery Plan ahead of the next Spending Review. This will include a view on the progress and timescales for the development of different technologies.