Why Cornwall’s NHS board won’t be merging with Devon in 2027

A plan to fold Cornwall’s health commissioning body into Devon’s by next spring has been stopped, and two of Cornwall’s Labour MPs say local pressure played a part.

What NHS England has decided

The proposed merger of the Cornwall and Devon Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) will not go ahead in April 2027, according to a statement shared by Cornish Labour MPs.

The statement says the two organisations were told of the decision last Tuesday (6 October). It applies to most of the ICB cluster mergers that had been planned nationally.

The MPs’ statement says the decision reflects the Government’s wider commitment to line up ICB areas with future strategic authority arrangements, which are yet to be established in many parts of the country.

What happens now

NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly and NHS Devon will keep working together as a cluster. They remain separate statutory organisations, with unchanged boundaries, responsibilities and financial allocations.

The question of a merger has not gone away for good. Future ICB footprints are expected to be agreed by the Secretary of State following further consultation during 2027, with any changes brought in from April 2028.

According to the statement, NHS England has indicated that the extra time will allow for further local discussions, in response to concerns raised through the consultation process.

Commissioning is changing too

The decision comes as the way NHS services are commissioned is itself being reworked.

Subject to parliamentary approval, most of NHS England’s direct commissioning functions will transfer to ICBs from April 2027. New regional offices for commissioning across more than one ICB are also planned, intended to provide specialist expertise and support collaboration between boards.

The case made by Cornwall’s MPs

In June, all six Cornish MPs wrote jointly to the Department of Health and Social Care about the future footprint of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB.

The statement says the Government’s response acknowledged the work underway in Cornwall to develop neighbourhood health services and community health and wellbeing workers.

What the MPs said

Noah Law, MP for St Austell and Newquay, said: “I’m pleased to say that, following Cornish MPs highlighting their concerns about a potential merger with Devon’s financially troubled ICB, NHS England has decided that commissioning decisions will remain at Cornwall level.

“However, it’s important that we strengthen regional working, for instance in coordinating care with Derriford Hospital, and that we unlock economies of scale at a wider regional level. That’s why I’m delighted to see the transfer of more commissioning powers to local ICBs and the new regional commissioning offices, which comes on top of our abolition of NHS England bringing decision-making to the Department of Health.

“There is still a way to go in strengthening the political accountability of integrated care boards, which is why I’d like to see greater representation from MPs and councillors alike in decision-making and reporting channels.”

Jayne Kirkham, MP for Truro and Falmouth, said: “Cornwall is ahead with Neighbourhood Health Teams and Community Health and Wellbeing workers and it makes sense for our NHS to be led and run locally, although it’s important that we co-ordinate closely with Devon provision.

“I am pleased that NHS England has listened to our concerns.”

📷Credit: Royal Cornwall Hospital