Half of Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB jobs at risk in merger plan, as councillors warn "I just worry our voice isn't going to be heard"

BLMK ICB is to merge with Herfordshire ICB, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB, a meeting of Central Bedfordshire Council’s social care, health and housing overview and scrutiny committee was told.

CBC’s deputy leader and Independent Ampthill councillor Mark Smith told the committee he attended an ICB joint board health and care partnership seminar last month.

“It was confirmed under government plans Bedfordshire Luton and Milton Keynes ICB will merge with Hertfordshire ICB, and Cambridge and Peterborough ICB,” he explained. “This will become one of the biggest ICBs in the country covering 3.2 million people.

“The current BLMK ICB chief executive officer Felicity Cox says she won’t be going for the top job, and will be focusing on work to assist the merger.

“There’ll be redundancies, of course, and this is estimated to be 50 per cent of the staff. The merger is due to be completed by the end of next March.

“The new chief executive of the joint ICB is likely to be in place soon, under a competitive recruitment process.

“BLMK ICB has just appointed a new chairman in former Luton Borough Council chief executive Robin Porter. He’s said he’ll be applying to be chairman of the new entity.

“It’s widely acknowledged BLMK is currently underfunded by £150m. My concern is that in this larger ICB there’s the potential we’ll be overlooked,” added CBC’s executive member for adult social care and health councillor Smith.

“We’re the one unitary authority which doesn’t have a hospital. I’m sure we all share that worry.”

Conservative Eaton Bray councillor Philip Spicer asked if it was known where the new ICB head office would be based yet.

Councillor Smith replied: “No, it’s early days in the process. There was no mention about the location at that meeting.”

Liberal Democrat Leighton Linslade South councillor Emma Holland-Lindsay, who chairs the committee, said: “I share your concerns about what the potential impact will be for our area.

“This merger is something we could look at in our work plan to consider that impact and what it’s going to deliver for our residents. They’ll be in a wider pool, with bigger hospitals and I just worry our voice isn’t going to be heard.”

Conservative Heath and Reach councillor Mark Versallion referred to being “frustrated by the ICB for many years”, adding: “My concern is there’ll be this big reconfiguration and then those same cultural problems will continue.

“It would become business as usual in the way they don’t seem to be connected to localities. As that change happens, I hope the deputy leader can quite strongly influence how this joint ICB goes about its commissioning.”

Councillor Smith said: “Myself and the (CBC) leader are in regular contact with the ICB, and can convey those points.”