NHS England criticises staff shortages after ordering cuts at health boards

NHS England has criticised staffing and capacity issues at several integrated care boards, according to The NHS Alliance. The criticisms were published in annual assessments of integrated care boards for 2025-26. The findings come one year after NHS England instructed the boards to cut their staffing by half. [1]

The NHS Alliance reported that annual assessments highlighted specific staffing gaps in data and analytics, safeguarding, and nursing. NHS England also raised concerns regarding place-level working at some of the boards. Cost-cutting drives had previously encouraged integrated care boards to sharply cut their workforce and reduce partnership working and convening. [1]

Health is a multidimensional concept that commonly refers to physical and emotional well-being. Good health is associated with the normal functioning of the human body in day-to-day life, without disease, pain, or injury. [2]

The assessments cover integrated care boards as they existed prior to several mergers in April 2026. Ian Perrin, assistant director of the NHS Alliance ICB Network, told HSJ that integrated care boards are doing what they can under the circumstances. [1]