Chair, Proposed NHS Essex Integrated Care Board

Together we can create an NHS that works

The proposed NHS Essex ICB is seeking an exceptional leader to serve as Chair, helping to shape health and care services for the large and diverse population of Essex during a period of significant transformation in the NHS.

The establishment of a single Essex ICB will bring together different components from the three current ICBs covering our county, creating one strategic commissioning body. By April 2026, this unified ICB will formally replace the existing structures, simplifying how services are planned and delivered whilst enabling a sharper focus on prevention, early intervention and tackling health inequalities.

As one of the largest health systems in the NHS, we face both substantial challenges and exciting opportunities. Waiting times are high, demand is growing, and we must restore financial stability. Parts of our system are in a challenged position, indicating the improvement journey we collectively have to travel. However, we also have strong foundations, including committed staff, innovative local partnerships and areas of excellent performance. Working together as an ICB and with our partners, we are confident we can turn these challenges into lasting improvements.

Dear Candidate
Thank you for your interest in becoming the Chair of the newly created, proposed NHS Essex ICB. This is a pivotal opportunity to lead one of the most consequential and complex systems across the country, and an anchor institution in Essex, during a period of significant transformation in the NHS.
The establishment of a single Essex ICB will bring together different components from the three current ICBs covering our county, creating one strategic commissioning body responsible for NHS services for our entire population of 1.8m. By April 2026, this unified ICB will formally replace the existing structures, simplifying how services are planned and delivered whilst enabling a sharper focus on prevention, early intervention and tackling health inequalities.
As one of the largest health systems in the English NHS, Essex faces both substantial challenges and exciting opportunities. Like many NHS services across the country, we are experiencing pressure. Waiting times are high, demand is growing, and we must restore financial stability. Parts of our system are in a challenged position, meaning we are receiving enhanced support to improve performance and indicating the improvement journey we collectively have to travel.
However, we also have strong foundations to build on. We benefit from committed staff, innovative local partnerships and areas of excellent performance. Our primary care and community teams have developed effective neighbourhood models, and we are making positive progress in recovery plans. Working together as an ICB and with our partners, we are confident we can turn these challenges into lasting improvements for our residents.
The government's 10 Year Plan calls for three fundamental shifts: moving services out of hospitals into community settings, switching emphasis from treating sickness to preventing ill health, and embracing digital innovation to improve access and quality. ICBs are at the heart of delivering these shifts.
With the delegation of commissioning responsibility for 70 specialised services to ICBs, we have begun a major step towards empowering local systems to design more integrated, whole population services and invest more in prevention and care closer to home. At the same time, the NHS is adopting a new operating model that provides earned autonomy for high-performing systems, with ICBs gaining greater freedoms and scope for impact as strategic commissioners.
Along with other ICBs, we must significantly streamline costs, with a plan to deliver 50% reduction in running costs. In Essex, this means we are implementing the national Model ICB blueprint, clustering functions across current ICBs and ensuring we have the right capabilities for our expanded remit. The creation of the proposed single Essex ICB is a direct response to these reforms, allowing us to harness economies of scale, reduce duplication and speak with one voice for health and care across our county.
Within this rapidly changing landscape, our mission remains to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities for the people we serve. Building on the strong collaborative ethos that already characterises the Essex system, we will develop integrated, locally responsive care.
Our Integrated Care Partnership has set out an ambitious strategy to make Essex a place where everyone can live a healthy, fulfilling life, supported by high quality, joined up services when needed. Achieving this vision will require deep partnership with our communities and stakeholders, listening to local voices, drawing on lived experience and working closely with local government, voluntary organisations and other partners to design better services.
As Chair of the proposed NHS Essex ICB, you will play a central role in turning these ambitions into reality. Working closely with our Chief Executive, executive team and partner boards, you will provide strategic leadership, robust governance and an independent voice that holds our system to account. Your key priorities will include:
- Setting strategic direction, guiding the proposed Essex ICB to become an effective strategic commissioner that accelerates the shift of care into communities, prioritises prevention and capitalises on digital innovation.
- Strengthening our system, ensuring the new ICB establishes strong governance and financial grip, builds the commissioning capabilities we need for population health management, and develops the partnerships vital to integrated care.
- Driving performance improvement, overseeing system wide efforts to stabilise and enhance services, including reducing urgent care pressures, tackling elective backlogs, improving primary care access and delivering on national standards.
- Delivering our integrated care strategy, championing the implementation of our Joint Forward Plan, steering transformations that improve outcomes and patient experience, and addressing health inequalities between our communities.
This is an extremely high profile and impactful role, that calls for a compassionate, dynamic and courageous leader who can navigate complexity and inspire confidence through a clear vision and an inclusive approach. We are looking for a Chair who brings substantial board level experience and a passion for improving outcomes for patients and communities. You should be adept at building consensus across organisational boundaries, with excellent communication and influencing skills. A strong commitment to good governance, transparency and accountability will be essential, as will the integrity and courage to ask difficult questions in the public interest.
The proposed NHS Essex ICB is strongly committed to equity, diversity and inclusion. We welcome the broadest range of perspectives, whether you come from a health and care background or another sector. What matters most is that you share our dedication to reducing health inequalities and delivering excellent, compassionate care for all.
If you are a strategic thinker with the drive to lead transformational change across a complex system, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact our partner Thomas Patterson at Alumni Global for a confidential discussion.
Thank you once again for your interest. We hope you are inspired by the chance to make a real difference for the people of Essex.
Yours sincerely,
Clare Panniker
East of England Regional Director, NHS England
Tom Abell
Chief Executive, NHS Essex Integrated Care Board
In line with national work to simplify system structures and strengthen leadership across wider geographies, the three existing Essex based ICB areas - Mid and South Essex ICB, and parts of Herts and West Essex ICB and Suffolk and North East Essex ICB – aim to come together to form a single proposed Essex Integrated Care Board.
This change reflects the direction set out by NHS England to create more streamlined, sustainable, and strategically aligned systems and prepares integrated care boards to take on their new role as strategic commissioners.
The proposed Essex ICB brings together three systems, each with areas of excellence already influencing national policy and practice.
Mid and south Essex has been chosen as one of only seven national vanguard sites for the National Frailty Improvement Collaborative, while west Essex and north east Essex have both been selected as neighbourhood integration pilots. Together, the three systems are demonstrating the power of local innovation to drive national change.
In preparation for the proposed new organisation, work is already underway to align governance, commissioning, and planning approaches across the three areas. Boards are agreeing transitional governance arrangements to ensure clarity and continuity, and teams are collaborating to develop shared commissioning intentions and system plans.
In mid and south Essex, teams are already aligning under a new executive structure, with similar work to follow in west and north east Essex.
The creation of a single Essex ICB, subject to approval, would bring the opportunity to plan and deliver health and care at greater scale, while maintaining a strong commitment to place-based and neighbourhood working.
It would provide a simpler and more coherent structure for partners, supporting better outcomes and reduced inequalities for the two million residents of Essex.
The appointment of a Chair for the proposed Essex ICB is a key step in shaping this future, providing visible, values-led leadership, and guiding the systems through change.
The proposed NHS Essex ICB is seeking an exceptional leader to serve as Chair of one of the largest and most consequential health systems in England. This is a pivotal opportunity to impact the health and care for two million people across Essex during a period of significant transformation in the NHS.
The establishment of a single Essex ICB will bring together different components from the three current ICBs covering our county, creating one strategic commissioning body. By April 2026, this unified ICB will formally replace the existing structures, simplifying how services are planned and delivered whilst enabling a sharper focus on prevention, early intervention and tackling health inequalities.
As one of the largest health systems in the NHS, we face both substantial challenges and exciting opportunities. Waiting times are high, demand is growing, and we must restore financial stability. Parts of our system are in a challenged position, indicating the improvement journey we collectively have to travel. However, we also have strong foundations, including committed staff, innovative local partnerships and areas of excellent performance. Working together as an ICB and with our partners, we are confident we can turn these challenges into lasting improvements.
The 10 Year Plan calls for three fundamental shifts, and ICBs are at the heart of delivering these. We have begun empowering local systems to design more integrated services and invest in prevention and care closer to home. The NHS is adopting a new operating model that provides earned autonomy for high performing systems, whilst all ICBs must streamline costs significantly. The creation of the single Essex ICB allows us to harness economies of scale, reduce duplication and speak with one voice.
As Chair, you will play a central role in turning our ambitions into reality. Working closely with our Chief Executive, executive team and partner boards, you will provide strategic leadership, robust governance and an independent voice that holds our system to account. Your key priorities will include setting strategic direction, strengthening our system, driving performance improvement, and delivering our integrated care strategy. This means guiding the proposed Essex ICB to become an effective strategic commissioner, ensuring strong governance and financial grip, overseeing efforts to stabilise and enhance services, and championing implementation of our Joint Forward Plan whilst addressing health inequalities.
This is an extremely high profile and impactful role that calls for a compassionate, dynamic and courageous leader who can navigate complexity and inspire confidence through a clear vision and an inclusive approach. We are looking for a Chair who brings substantial board level experience as a NED or Chair, and a demonstrable passion for improving outcomes for patients and communities. You will be a proven relationship builder, adept at building consensus across organisational boundaries and uniting diverse stakeholders behind common goals. Your excellent communication and influencing skills will be essential in leading system transformation.
You will bring a strong commitment to good governance, transparency and accountability, coupled with the integrity and courage to ask difficult questions in the public interest. As a strategic thinker, you will be able to see beyond immediate pressures to chart a clear course for the future, whilst remaining grounded in the operational realities of delivering care. Your leadership style will be inclusive and collaborative, creating the conditions for others to thrive and innovate.
We are looking for a visible and accessible leader who can inspire confidence across our diverse communities and stakeholder groups. You will champion equity, diversity and inclusion, ensuring that our leadership reflects the communities we serve and that our services address unacceptable health inequalities. Whether you come from a health and care background or another sector, what matters most is that you share our dedication to reducing health inequalities and delivering excellent, compassionate care for all.
This is a rare opportunity to make a lasting impact as our new ICB is created. If the prospect of leading transformational change across such a complex health system, we encourage you to speak with our partner Thomas Patterson at Alumni Global on +44 7970 339 151 and thomas.patterson@alumniglobal.com.
Please click here to view the Job Description & Person Specification
About the Role
The Chair of the proposed Essex ICB will play a pivotal role in shaping and leading the development of a new, unified health and care system for the people of Essex. This is a unique opportunity to guide the organisations through transition, bringing together three strong systems into a single, coherent Board that delivers real improvements in health outcomes, equity, and value.
As an experienced and values-driven leader, the Chair will set the tone for collaborative working, fostering effective partnerships across NHS organisations, local government, the voluntary sector, and communities.
They will ensure good governance, transparency, and accountability, while championing innovation and the voices of people and patients.
This is an opportunity to lead at scale, influence nationally, and help shape the future of integrated care for more than two million residents across Essex.
All applications must include:
• A full curriculum vitae/resume
• Quoting the relevant role reference number:
Chair - A041356
• A covering letter highlighting the aspects of the job description and the proposed NHS Essex ICB that particularly attract you to the post (Microsoft Word document)
• Contact details for three referees, these will not be contacted without your permission. (References should validate a minimum period of six years employment)
• A completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (which you will be redirected to once you have submitted your application) *
Monitoring
One of Alumni Global’s and the proposed NHS Essex ICB’s objectives is to ensure that its workforce is reflective of the local community and therefore we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups. So that we can successfully achieve these aims, while it is not mandatory we would encourage every applicant to complete the “Equal Opportunities Monitoring form” so that we can measure the effectiveness of our efforts. The Recruiting Manager does not have access to the Monitoring Information Sections of the application form at any stage of the process and the information provided will be kept entirely confidential.
For a confidential discussion on this role please contact:
Thomas Patterson, Managing Director or Michael Earnshaw, Director of Research, details of which can be found at the bottom of this microsite.
Candidate adjustment
If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made as part of the recruitment process please can you advise us so that we can ensure this is accommodated.
Key Milestones:
Closing date: 19th December 2025
Stakeholder session: TBC
Final Interviews: w/c 19th January 2026 - TBC
Please ensure you have made a note of the final interview date(s). We recommend that you bookmark this microsite, as any potential updates regarding the role will be posted online.