ICB mergers: lessons for future success
Build on existing partnerships and learn from the best of the legacy organisations
Why this matters
While each ICB might take different approaches to developing their operating model, as an ICB and as a wider system, building on existing relationships and partnerships, rather than starting from a blank page, helps build momentum when staff capacity is already limited.
What works in practice
ICB senior leaders saw their role as articulating a vision for the organisation and wider system to partners. This meant building on the best of each legacy organisation and of the wider system, while identifying opportunities to tackle longstanding challenges. One ICB planned to keep previous ICB footprints as neighbourhood delivery committees in the new geography. This helped address concerns from system partners about the geographical changes and should help to retain the good progress that has been achieved so far.
Communications teams played a key role in ensuring consistent messaging and mapping the stakeholder landscape, supported by a strong feedback loop between senior leaders and communications teams.
Advice from ICB leaders
Identify opportunities to learn and spread the best from each legacy organisation and review existing system architecture across legacy geographies.
Work in practice
Learning and legacy from Suffolk and North East Essex ICB
On 1 April 2026, Suffolk and North East Essex (SNEE) ICB was abolished to form Essex ICB and Norfolk and Suffolk ICB. Ahead of this transition, system leaders took the opportunity to reflect on what had made the SNEE system distinctive and highly regarded for its collaborative, values-driven approach. This created space to capture learning and ensure that progress was not lost during a period of significant organisational change.
The SNEE ICP team undertook a structured learning project, drawing on workshops, interviews, and a desktop review. Insights from a wide range of stakeholders, alongside perspectives from national organisations, were analysed thematically and brought together in a learning and legacy report.
Seven core lessons emerged, including the importance of shared values, inclusive and trusting relationships, redistributing power to communities and the voluntary sector, and prioritising leadership culture over governance structures.
Together, these insights provide a strong foundation for the new ICBs to build collaborative, preventative, and place-based models of care.
These insights closely align with our wider report findings, which highlight that successful transitions are underpinned by leading with purpose and supporting people, bringing stakeholders with you through effective communication and engagement, and managing complexity to deliver the technical transition.