CORNWALL Council’s Liberal Democrat leader has written to the Government objecting to a proposal to merge Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board (ICB) with Devon.

Cllr Leigh Frost says the merger of the counties’ budgets, planned for April 2027 is “outrageous” and could lead to less money for Cornwall in favour of Devon’s ICB which is currently in deficit.

ICBs plan and buy local health services, including hospital care, mental health support, urgent care, primary care services and NHS 111.

NHS England is reducing the total number of ICBs in the country from 42 down to 26. The strategy involves initial clustering arrangements followed by full statutory mergers intended to cut operating costs by 50 per cent.

Cornwall Council leader Leigh Frost described the Annual Report as evidence of a council focused on delivering the priorities residents care about most
Cornwall Council leader Leigh Frost says the merger of the counties’ budgets, planned for April 2027 is “outrageous” (Submitted)

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB and NHS Devon are currently working as one under the “cluster” model, with a shared board and leadership team, ahead of next year’s formal merger which would see their budgets combined.

Cllr Frost told a meeting of the council’s corporate finance scrutiny committee on Tuesday (July 28) that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are strongly against a merger with Devon. “We have spoken with one voice against that and yet still the preferred proposals are that it goes ahead, which I think is quite frankly outrageous.

“We do not want to see a merger of those budgets – back office function, absolutely fine, but those budgets should be sovereign and our budget should be spent on Cornwall and Cornish residents.”

He added: “My worry is that our money will go to Devon. They’re in a deficit as an ICB and that means less money for our services. Absolutely, the ICB merger will have an impact on Cornwall. maybe not a direct impact on our [council] budget, but there will be an indirect impact.”