On December 16 2024, the government released its long-anticipated English Devolution White Paper, setting out plans to accelerate and standardise the transfer of powers, funding, and responsibilities from Westminster to local areas.
Central to this plan is the introduction of “strategic authorities” to address social determinants of health, align health systems more closely with local leadership, and strengthen the role of communities in shaping public services. The new framework highlights expectation for strategic authorities’ growing role in shaping several areas, notably including health, wellbeing, and public service reform.
Key highlights for the NHS include:
- More freedom given to Mayors over their funding and priorities and expectation to play key roles in ICSs, from Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs) to setting Integrated Care Board (ICB) priorities.
- Longer-term ambitions to align public service boundaries with ICS to improve system efficiency.
- A push for local reorganisation, with larger unitary authorities serving at least 500,000 people.
Our snapshot below is a summary of the report:
Click to enlarge.
As the devolution framework evolves, ICSs, NHS leaders, and local government must work together to leverage these changes for better service integration, improved health outcomes, and stronger community leadership, ensuring that policies and programmes reflect the unique needs of each area.
Get in touch today with one of our health systems experts to find out more.
