In an internal update shared with HM, NHS England said the delay for future ICB footprints had been extended to September 2027 for full implementation on 1 April 2028 in order to ‘deliver full alignment between ICBs and strategic authorities'.

Earlier, this month HM sister publication, The MJ, revealed some two-tier local authorities could still be encouraged to stick to their original reorganisation timetable despite the Government pausing the national process in September.

Twelve clustered ICBs were approved to merge into six along with one ICB boundary change in April 2026 with additional mergers due to take place from 1 April 2027.

The boundaries of the current clusters are now set to remain until April 2028.

The NHS England memo confirmed three changes to existing ICB boundaries will be made on 1 April 2027 to ensure alignment with known or anticipated strategic authority footprints. These are:

an area of Buckinghamshire, covering Newton Longville, currently within NHS Central East ICB will transfer to NHS Thames Valley ICB which covers the rest of Buckinghamshire Council

an area of North Yorkshire adjacent to Lancashire, including Ingleton and Bentham, currently within NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB, will transfer to NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB

the Craven area of North Yorkshire, currently within NHS West Yorkshire ICB, will transfer to NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB.