Stakeholder Briefing – Welcome to Thames Valley ICB
Dear Stakeholder
A warm welcome to NHS Thames Valley Integrated Care Board.
Today marks an important moment, as we focus on establishing an organisation which will support 2.5 million residents across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, building and strengthening partnerships already in place.
Our vision and ambition are to support the Government’s 10 Year Plan for health which aims to shift more care closer to home, make better use of digital tools, and focus earlier on prevention.
Patients and the public will continue to access care and services in exactly the same way as before.
Any changes to services in the future will be planned and considered against a strong commitment to engagement and involvement with the communities we serve, and the health, local authority, voluntary sector and academic partners we work with.
Background
The background to this shift was set in train when NHS Integrated Care Boards were first established in July 2022 to plan and secure healthcare services for their populations and oversee the performance of NHS services in their areas.
In November 2024, the Secretary of State confirmed that ICBs would take on a clearer role as strategic commissioners, using evidence to plan, purchase, monitor and evaluate services over the long term to improve population health, reduce inequalities and ensure fair access to high quality care.
Further changes were announced in March 2025, when the Government set out its intention to dissolve NHS England and strengthen the strategic commissioning role of ICBs. Alongside this shift, ICBs were asked to reduce their running costs by half.
The way forward
These changes mean that Thames Valley ICB will look and operate differently to the two organisations it replaces: NHS Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB and NHS Frimley ICB. We will commission services more consistently across a larger geography to get the best quality and value from our £5.6 billion budget.
Frimley’s southern geography is being realigned with NHS Surrey and Sussex, and with NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, ensuring organisations are coterminous with local government boundaries.
The Thames Valley ICB will be guided by three strategic priorities:
- Commissioning for best value by shifting focus from activity to outcomes which matter most to people and communities. Investment will be prioritised towards services which improve health, reduce inequalities and make efficient use of resources. A review of existing contracts will identify services that do not deliver enough value and next steps.
- Commissioning for integrated neighbourhood health, working with partners to join up primary care, community services, mental health, social care and VCSE. The aim is to reduce avoidable hospital admissions, improve patient experience, and support people to remain independent for longer.
- Commissioning to strengthen focus on prevention of ill health. Initial priorities will include reducing risk of heart attack and stroke; reducing obesity and diabetes; and supporting children and young people’s mental health. By identifying risk earlier and intervening sooner, the ICB aims to reduce future demand on acute services and improve long-term outcomes.
While the creation of NHS Thames Valley ICB marks an opportunity to build a stronger, more capable strategic commissioner for our area, the change in function and the imperative to reduce running costs means a reorganisation of current staffing. This work is in progress, and we hope it will be complete in July this year.
The ICB’s executive team is in place, and we have a new Board which includes non-executive directors and members from primary care, NHS provider trusts and local authorities. You will find details of all executives, and contact information, on the new Thames Valley ICB website, together with directorates and chief officer profiles.
As we move into this next phase for our local NHS, we are firmly committed to working hand in hand with all our partners across health, local government, the voluntary and community sector, and with the people we serve.
The scale of the challenge ahead, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the NHS, improving outcomes for our 2.5 million residents, and narrowing the inequalities that persist across our communities, requires collective energy, shared ambition and strong collaboration.
We look forward to building on the strengths already in place, embracing innovation, and shaping a future in which everyone has the resources to live longer, healthier lives. Together, we will make the ambitions of this new organisation a reality.
Priya Singh Nick Broughton
Chair Chief Executive
