NHS England is expected to confirm shortly that Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) will be established on 1 July 2022, and not 1 April 2022 as originally planned. This means that that the transfer of CCG staff, including MiP members, will be delayed until 1 July 2022.
MiP chief executive Jon Restell said the decision, which was disclosed through a leak to the Health Service Journal, "offers a chance to review individual consultation arrangements and decisions for senior CCG staff, which in some cases have been unhelpfully constrained by the tight timetable."
He added: "But it must also be acknowledged that the decision will also prolong the anxiety and uncertainty for some staff. And yet again our members have found out about a major decision concerning their future through a leak to the media, rather than from their employer and NHS England."
The delay arises from issues with the Parliamentary timetable for the bill establishing ICBs. The bill also provides for the legal merger of NHS England and NHS Improvement, which will also now be postponed to 1 July 2022.
MiP understands that the delay will not affect the employment guarantee, and that positions agreed for individuals will not be automatically unpicked. The Transition Partnership Group, which brings together employers and unions to agree arrangements for the transition, will meet early in the New Year to consider the implications of the delay and produce relevant guidance.
NHS England is expected to communicate with ICB and CCG leaders shortly.