NHS board told to halve running costs

Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) has been ordered to cut its operational costs by 50%

The organisation responsible for coordinating healthcare in Kent has been told to cut its operational costs by 50%, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

The government has ordered the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) to reduce its operating costs by £35.2 million by 31 December.

A report due to be discussed by Medway Council's Health and Adult Social Care (HASC) Committee on 20 August outlines how these savings could be made without compromising patient service.

The ICB has asked 770 staff members if they would consider voluntary redundancy. More than 100 have already expressed interest in leaving, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS

The report states the current operating costs for the ICB is £73.5m, which is 1.5% of its total budget.

It is used to commission GPs, children's services including those with complex needs, mental health services, maternity and neonatal services and pharmacy, optometry and dentistry services, among others.

The board is also reviewing services it should no longer provide and exploring ways to improve efficiency.

This includes creating a shared services list across organisations and reducing staffing by 49%.

It follows the government's decision to scrap NHS England by April 2027 and bring its operations within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) as part of a wider cost-saving plan.

In its 10-year NHS strategy, published last month, the government said ICBs should prioritise preventing illness by improving general health, which reduces the need for costly procedures later.

It also called for more care to be delivered in communities rather than hospitals, and for technology to be used to streamline decision-making and processes.

The Kent and Medway ICB is not among those being merged or having boundaries redrawn, the LDRS reports.