NHS Changes

NHS England

As previously announced the government is abolishing this body by April 2027.  The aim is to put power and resources in the hands of NHS organisations providing direct patient and reduce national bureaucracy

This is creating considerable change in the relationship of constituent parts of the NHS with the Department of Health with responsibility and capabilities undertaken by NHS England being re-assigned.

Integrated care boards (ICB)

These are being restructured again.  In March 2025, the government announced significant changes to the NHS landscape, aimed at strengthening roles and responsibilities across the wider NHS and reducing duplication, so more funding can be directed to frontline care. 

This is planned to create a leaner way of working where every part of the NHS is clear on their purpose, what they are accountable for, and to whom, and will help support delivery of new 10-year Health Plan to improve outcomes for patients and communities.

As part of this NHS reform, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) were asked to significantly reduce their operating costs (by approximately 50% including substantial headcount reductions) and focus on their critical role as strategic commissioners – working to improve population health, reduce inequalities and improve access to more consistent high-quality care. 

Surrey and Sussex

The ICB’s for Surrey and Sussex have agreed to merge to meet this challenge. This Builds on long-established health partnerships across Surrey and Sussex with the Surrey & Sussex Cancer Alliance, Surrey and Sussex Local Medical Committee and Community Pharmacy Surrey & Sussex, as well as NHS providers who provide NHS services to patients in both Surrey and Sussex, such as:

• Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust,
• South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust,
• Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust,
• Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust and
• University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.

This represents a major change in ICBs’ leadership and responsibilities and an requires a fundamentally different kind of organisation, this has resulted in the formation of a new organisation spanning the two counties; with the NHS Surrey & Sussex ICB starting operation on 1st April 2026.

Patient Safety

The aim is to simplify the engagement and collection of patient safety issues and concerns via user feedback and thus improve quality of care, including safety. Abolishing Healthwatch England (HWE) and the cica 150 Local Healthwatch ( LHW) will reduce the number of organisations involved in the patient safety. 

After abolition the Department of Health and Social Security of HWE, DHSC will have responsibility for patient and user voice at the national level.  Abolishing LHW will enable ICBs to be squarely responsible for collecting feedback from patients.  It is also aimed streamlining the responsibilities of local authorities to focus on social care; an area they are responsible for commissioning. The should also ensure that the organisations responsible for commissioning (ICBs and local authorities) are using feedback to inform their commissioning decisions.

Single Patient Data Record (SPR)

A single patient record is coming, with every patient's medical data in one place by 2028.

The vision for the SPR programme is to:

• Give patients visibility and greater control of their data, enabling them to read, write, share care plans and offer corrections to data, as well as to manage sharing preferences and see who has accessed their record.
• Remove the need for patients to repeat their medical history at each appointment, by giving staff access to a complete and consistent record.
• Provide a single version of the truth that is accessible across care settings.
• Lay the foundations for patient information to flow safely, securely and seamlessly between care providers, benefiting clinicians and social care staff, improving outcomes, making decision-making more informed and speeding up care.

An initiative already established in Surrey

Locally we have seen a significant change in that the boards of Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust agreed to form a group model.   While both organisations remain independent - with their own executive teams, boards, and councils of governors - this model enables closer working and co-operation to deliver better care, and respond to the challenges facing the NHS. 

The group model is about clinically-led collaboration that improves consistency, accelerates improvement, and supports innovation across both trusts - while maintaining strong local leadership and accountability. In January 2025 a Group Chief Executive who works across both trusts was appointed.