The secret plan for ICBs, and other restructure woes
From HSJ Health Check by HSJ
February 6, 2026 · 24 min
About this episode
This episode discusses a secret update to the ICB blueprint, the merging timetable of NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, and the resignation of Ming Tang.
This week we cover a mysterious update to the “model ICB” blueprint that hasn’t been formally published or endorsed by NHS England, but instead passed in whispers. We also talk about the full timetable for merging NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care and one of the biggest stories this week: the unexpected resignation of Ming Tang, NHSE’s chief data and analytics officer. We discuss her legacy, most notably the federated data platform, and why some of the biggest trusts are yet to start using it.
Topics covered
- ICBs
- NHS England
- Department of Health and Social Care
- Ming Tang
- data platform
Keywords
- restructure
- healthcare
- analytics
- trusts
Mentioned in this episode
Products: federated data platform
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