A collaboration agreement between Frimley and Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) ICBs has set out the future of their partnership cluster as “Thames Valley ICB Partners”. As well as outlining arrangements for joint commissioning and other shared functions, the agreement offers insight into data sharing requirements and IT interoperability.
Covering an initial term of six months to March 2026, the ICBs aim to work in collaboration to implement the 10-Year Plan, also setting out objectives including the commissioning of health services based on population health needs across the entire geography of both partners. It similarly refers to collective work on a reduction in running costs “equivalent to £19 per weighted head of population across both organisations through designing and developing optimally efficient operating models with associated workforce and other resource infrastructure”.
On IT interoperability, BOB and Frimley commit to ensuring that all relevant IT systems are interoperable, allowing for data to be transferred securely and efficiently. “The Thames Valley Partners will use their respective reasonable endeavours to help develop initiatives to further this aim,” the agreement notes.
A due diligence process will be performed to ensure the safe and effective creation of the new organisation in terms of data, digital, IG, finance, workforce, operational readiness, and contracting operating models. Both ICBs will remain separately accountable for meeting NHS constitutional targets, system leadership and coordination to improve health, governance and assurance, and the commissioning and allocation of resources.
ICB CEOs will be responsible for leading and overseeing the dissolution of BOB and Frimley ICBs and the formation of the new Thames Valley ICB, as well as for the implementation of the collaboration agreement, performance oversight, and delivery. A chief finance officer designate will be appointed to oversee and deliver the 2025/26 financial plans of each ICB through the transition period, with the CFO and finance teams from both organisations to cooperate on 2026/27 financials.
“All financial accounting will remain separate during the transition period, except for a shared budget to cover the costs of running the Transition Programme,” the ICBs share. “This is £250k to year end 2025/26 and will be hosted by Frimley ICB.”
Wider trend: ICB digital transformation
South West London ICB has highlighted progress made on its 2025/26 infrastructure strategy, along with next steps for 2026 – 2029. The ICB notes short, medium and long term plans against the National Cyber Assurance Framework to improve cyber security maturity and resilience, as well as the launch of four digital infrastructure working groups on service management, end user device and software licensing, cloud adoption, and network harmonisation.
Coventry and Warwickshire ICB’s latest green plan has been published, listing ten digital transformation objectives and a timeline for their delivery to 2028. By January 2026, all new digital supplier contracts will include sustainability criteria, requiring carbon reporting and alignment with NHS Net Zero targets; whilst by March 2026, 100 percent of trusts will have completed a Digital Maturity Assessment, focusing on identifying sustainability improvements. The ICB also hopes to explore the implementation of a “PC power down” pilot scheme by October 2026.
North West London ICB has defined next steps and key priorities to accelerate neighbourhood health across the region, with a focus on agreements for data sharing, accelerating the spread of proven care models, and driving the move from reactive to proactive care. Since the last update, “the focus has shifted from design to delivery”, NWL states. “All seven place managing directors are now leading local partnerships with governance and integrator arrangements in development. One model of care – children’s health – is demonstrating measurable impact and is being rolled out.” Other care models are currently being confirmed, or are in proof of concept phases, including cardio-renal metabolic (CRM) and end-of-life care.
