Committee publication · Correspondence · 24 June 2026
Correspondence from Penny Dash- Follow up on 20 May session
From: Health and Social Care Committee
Inquiry: The work of NHS England
Summary
Dr Penny Dash, Chair of NHS England, responds to follow-up questions from the Health and Social Care Committee following her 20 May appearance. She clarifies plans for London ICB restructuring, specialised commissioning responsibility under the new Department, public engagement requirements for ICBs, and confirms delegation of 70 specialised services to ICBs with further transfers pending the NHS Modernisation Bill.
Key findings
- No single London-wide ICB merger planned; instead, targeted case-by-case changes (e.g. North Central and North West London merged into West and North London ICB on 1 April 2026) with 'once for London' commissioning where beneficial.
- Mayor of London will chair new London Health Improvement Board (first meeting July 2026) but will not formally represent boroughs on ICB boards; local authority representation remains statutorily unchanged.
- Specialised commissioning responsibility will be clearly defined within new Department; target operating model to be published internally and forwarded to HSCC when finalised, with detailed structures subject to staff consultation in Autumn.
- 70 specialised services already delegated to ICBs since April 2025; further specialised services transfer expected after NHS Modernisation Bill passage, though 'highly specialised services' will transfer to DHSC, not ICBs.
- ICB public engagement must use proportionate range of approaches (inform, consult, engage, co-design, co-production); significant service changes require deeper involvement through co-design or co-production, with updated statutory guidance forthcoming.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Dr Penny Dash, Layla Moran MP, Duncan Burton, Mayor of London, NHS England, Integrated Care Boards, Greater London Authority, Department of Health and Social Care
Notable line
“There are no plans to establish a single London-wide ICB. The approach in London reflects the scale and complexity of the capital …”
Key Quotes
“There are no plans to establish a single London-wide ICB. The approach in London reflects the scale and complexity of the capital …”
“There are no plans for the Mayor of London to replace or formally represent London boroughs on ICB boards.”
“Responsibility for specialised commissioning will be clearly defined within the new Department. The target operating model, which we expect to publish internally shortly, will set out our proposal on which Director General within the new DHSC will be responsible for specialised commissioning.”
“… no final decisions have yet been taken on whether any additional specialised services over and above those already delegated, should become the commissioning accountability and responsibility of ICBs.”
“ICBs are expected to choose the most appropriate way of involving people, but the guidance is clear that significant service change, strategy development and system priorities should involve people earlier and more deeply, often through co-design or co-production.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗