Around half of Milton Keynes care board jobs to be slashed under merger plans

The reduction process is due to take place during the next 12 to 18 months, Luton Borough Council’s health and wellbeing board was told.

Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) Integrated Care Board (ICB) is due to merge with ICBs for Hertfordshire, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough from October 1, to form the Central East ICB.

BLMK ICB chief medical officer Andrew Rochford explained: “The financial situation in the National Health Service is challenging, particularly for primary and secondary care, as well as other providers.

“There are currently six ICBs across the eastern region, including BLMK ICB. Through the changes and the financial requirements for the NHS, those six are being amalgamated into three.

“We’re merging with Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, but not West Essex. The catchy new name is Central East ICB.

“Former Luton Borough Council chief executive Robin Porter has been announced and confirmed as chairing Central East ICB. Other appointments are pending ministerial announcement and are expected to filter through later this month.

“There’s been an independent report suggesting the Bedfordshire Care Alliance has been recommended to be disbanded. That was approved by the ICB, subject to something being reconstructed in the new ICB.

“There’s going to be a significant period of change, while this organisation forms. This is because it’s moving from one where we support the health and care of about 1.2 million people across BLMK to a population close to 3.2m geographically, in one of the largest ICB areas across the country.

“This is while potentially reducing staff head count by 50 per cent at the same time,” he added.

“The proposed plan in the new ICB structure is meant to focus on commissioning health and care services for residents based on population data and need.

“So there’ll be a place director for Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, one for Hertfordshire, and likewise for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. They’ll be responsible for what’s termed ‘neighbourhood health’ around primary care and links with population health, which also sits with the strategic commissioning block.

“All I can say personally is to highlight how tricky it becomes to disconnect and reconnect everything. I’m a place director for Luton and I oversee primary care across BLMK, for which I’m the medical director.

“All my teams are scattered currently to different directorates in the new organisation. It’s going to take time to transition over. Business will be maintained and relationships will need to be reformed.

“There’s plenty of work to be done by the new incoming team to reconnect internally, which will pose problems externally while that settles.”

Asked about the timescale, he replied: “The executive and director appointments have been made already, but can’t be announced because there are onward decisions around that.

“So the new ICB will form on October 1. For the rest of the staff, the vast majority of the employees, it’s anticipated consultation would begin in either November or December.

“We anticipate most of that 50 per cent staff reduction to happen during the next 12 to 18 months.”