Health boards cluster across three counties

Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Boards have clustered to cut costs

Two health board across three counties have begun working more closely together after plans to cluster were approved.

Health leaders confirmed the move for Northamptonshire, Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) had been signed off.

In April, the Northamptonshire ICB, which oversees the running of health services in the county, was told it must cut its running costs by almost a third before the end of 2025.

The new chief executive, Toby Sanders, who was appointed in August, said: "I am delighted to be appointed... at such a pivotal time for our health and care system and look forward to working with... our staff and partners across both systems."

The Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board headquarters is located at Haylock House in Kettering

Integrated care boards plan and fund local health services for their area, allocating budgets to GPs and hospitals and work with partners to improve outcomes.

The move comes as local ICBs have been instructed to reduce their combined running costs of £53m by £16.7m.

It follows government plans to cut what ministers have described as "unnecessary bureaucracy" and redirect savings to frontline care.

The health managers' union, MiP, said uncertainty over workforce reductions was creating "misery" for employees.

Chief executive Jon Restell said: "There has been a total lack of leadership and accountability from government ever since they told ICBs to cut half their workforce in March.

"With no clear plan on who takes on vital services, what functions ICBs will keep, and how redundancies will be paid for, we're seeing a variance throughout the country of how ICBs are approaching these cuts.

"While ministers say these cuts are putting resources back on the 'frontline', the reality is that without ICBs there is no 'frontline'."

Northamptonshire ICB said it "is too early to speculate about any potential job losses".