We are pleased to announce that the delegation of appropriate specialised services has been approved by the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB), effective from 1 April.
Specialised services support people with a range of rare and complex conditions. They often involve treatments provided to patients with rare cancers, genetic disorders or complex medical or surgical conditions. They deliver cutting-edge care and are a catalyst for innovation, supporting pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.
These services have previously been commissioned and managed by NHS England in the Midlands, but delegation to the ICB in April 2024 will allow us to focus on population health management across whole pathways of care, improving the quality of services, tackling health inequalities and ensuring best value.
This decision reflects a careful and considered approach to delegating full commissioning responsibility across England for appropriate services by April 2025.
The new commissioning arrangements apply to 59 specialised services identified as suitable and ready for greater ICB leadership by NHS England, with potential inclusion of other services in April 2025, pending readiness.
NHS England will retain commissioning responsibility for all other specialised services, including highly specialised ones. A comprehensive list of services is available online.
Locally, we expect these responsibilities to be supported through our shared governance with other ICBs, including the Office of the West Midlands arrangements.
The commissioning of appropriate specialised services will be delegated to ICBs in the East of England, North West and Midlands.
