To reduce expenses, hundreds of NHS employees will be laid go. An NHS board is trying to cut expenses in half, which could result in the layoff of up to 200 employees.
The NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB), which commissions healthcare services throughout the two counties and has a £2.2 billion budget, would be impacted by the relocation.
According to CEO Simon Trickett, this might lead to the board combining with its Warwickshire counterpart and freeing approximately £23 million to reinvest in frontline healthcare.
As part of extensive health reforms, the government has given ICBs a goal to cut their expenses in half. In March, Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated that NHS England would be abolished within two years.
Although there is no current intention for this to happen, most ICBs are expected to lower their expenses by merging with a nearby health board, in this case Coventry and Warwickshire ICB (CW).
“We are now in the midst of a re-organisation of how the management of integrated care boards work,” said Trickett.
“While we will not combine ICBs, we will share leadership and management responsibilities and have a single team oversee two ICBs: Coventry and Warwickshire ICB and Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB.
“That will ultimately result in a 50% decrease in operating expenses, or £23 million. This represents a significant financial outlay from management to fund frontline care.
He told the health and wellness board of Worcestershire County Council on Tuesday that it would probably lead to 150–200 layoffs.
According to the ICB, it had 408 employees, equivalent to 322 full-time positions.
“No concessions”
“An interim arrangement that can allow the savings to be delivered” is how Mr. Trickett characterised the agreement with CW.
However, he stated that since the government intended health boards to be in line with strategic mayoral authority, there would not be a merger with that board at this time.
Mr. Trickett noted that there would be some financial savings because NHS England’s infrastructure wouldn’t need to be serviced.
According to him, the board’s function is also evolving, with employees being urged to be less “hands-on” as it takes on a more strategic commissioner role.
“The NHS in this part of the country is far from perfect, but we have made some good progress,” said Trickett. “We’d like to keep doing it.