Speaking to the Health and Social Care Committee, Stuart Hoddinott, associate director at the Institute for Government (IfG), said: ‘I think this is increasingly turning into a fiasco that doesn't make sense even on the Government's own terms.'

Hoddinott said the process had been ‘incoherent' in terms of the Government's aim to devolve power to local areas through public service reform.

‘Our view is that cutting the number of ICBs, making them work across a geography that will have on average 2.2m people in each geography, meaning that they're going to have to co-ordinate between an average of six different local authorities, upper tier local authorities, more after local organisation, makes a mockery of the idea that they will be able to effectively design services for local areas or to work effectively with partners in the local area, given their very large remit they still have about strategic commissioning.'

Hoddinott said there had ‘poor triangulation' between ICBs, NHSE and DHSC on the process and cited the example of some ICBs cutting their entire SEND function under the belief it was being considered to be taken out of their remit.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘This Government is committed to transforming outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families who have been let down for far too long.

‘There has been no change to statutory functions and we are working closely with local areas to ensure they are not disrupted.

‘We have set clear expectations of ICBs to fulfil their statutory duties on SEND and support the government's SEND reforms, including working alongside local authorities to develop local SEND reform plans.'

The DHSC said ICBs had been asked to work alongside local authorities to develop local SEND reform plans by 19 June that will set out each local area's strategy for implementing SEND reforms.