Healthcare decisions encompassing hospitals, GP surgeries, and pharmacies across a broad swathe of southern and southwest England—from Christchurch in the east to Exmoor in the west, including Bath, Wiltshire, and Swindon—could soon be streamlined under a single governing body.
Currently, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning and managing healthcare spending within designated areas. At present, Swindon and Wiltshire fall under the jurisdiction of the Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) ICB.
However, in response to recent NHS reforms announced by the government this year, all ICBs have been tasked with reducing operational costs by 50%. In light of this, a regional NHS briefing revealed plans for the BSW ICB to ‘cluster’ with the Somerset and Dorset ICBs, effectively creating a considerably larger regional health board.
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These proposals are expected to be submitted to NHS England by the end of the month and then sent to Whitehall for final approval. The briefing outlined that if approved, these newly formed clusters would begin operating later this year, with a formal merger anticipated between April 2026 and April 2027.
Similar clustering efforts are under consideration elsewhere, including Gloucestershire partnering with Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire ICBs, and Cornwall & the Scilly Isles aligning with Devon.
A spokesperson for BSW ICB stated, “All ICBs in England are being asked to make significant reductions in running costs and transition to a more strategic role with new responsibilities for us and other healthcare partners. This initiative is part of a nationally-driven NHS reform to cut management expenses and direct more funds to frontline services.”
They further emphasized that while clustering with Somerset and Dorset ICBs is being explored, no final decisions have been made.
Requests for comment from Dorset and Somerset ICBs were either met with no response or an inability to comment.
The BSW ICB itself is a relatively recent entity, established in 2022 after nearly two years of collaboration between Care Commissioning Groups in the region that voted to merge in 2019. This upcoming merger marks yet another significant step in the ongoing reshaping of healthcare administration in England.