Cost-cutting measures at Northamptonshire’s NHS services are putting hundreds of jobs at risk as the local Integrated Care Board (ICB) seeks to reduce its running costs by nearly a third by the end of the year. The Northamptonshire ICB, which manages the region’s health services, has been tasked with saving £16.7 million from its £53 million budget.
To meet the required savings, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, and Rutland ICBs are considering merging their management functions to streamline operations without impacting core services. However, this restructuring is expected to lead to significant job losses across both areas. The Northamptonshire ICB, which employed over 200 staff as of March 2025, has not provided further comment on the matter.
Industry experts, including NHS managers’ union Managers in Partnership (MiP), have expressed concerns that the pace and scale of the cuts may harm local economies and undermine efforts to retain skilled NHS workers. The unions argue that the cuts were implemented without sufficient planning or assessment of the new organisational structure needed.
Proposals for a Leicester, Northamptonshire, and Rutland ICB cluster have been submitted to NHS England. If approved, this would not be a full merger but would involve shared management and resources, aiming to achieve savings while maintaining services. However, the plan continues to spark uncertainty among staff members facing potential redundancies.
