ICB Network
The only independent, national network bringing together the senior leaders of England's integrated care boards.
Exclusively for integrated care boards (ICBs), we convene ICB leaders across a range of forums to support teams in their roles, as well as through activities that support ICBs to evolve as strategic commissioners.
Shaped by members, we help leaders exchange ideas, share experiences and challenges, and provide peer support.
We give our members a voice through our government influencing, policy work, media appearances and our work on key health and care developments.
Why join?
Membership unlocks access to advice and guidance for ICBs as they move into the role of strategic commissioners, including our Strategic Commissioning Forum to meet and discuss ideas and challenges.
Our networking forums, annual conference and dinner, provide unique opportunities for ICB leaders to discuss common challenges and learn from each other.
This is in addition to:
- exclusive insights, resources and digital communities designed to help navigate complexity
- opportunities for direct engagement with government, parliament and national bodies.
Forums to connect, share and learn
Forums exclusively for ICB Network members
- ICB Chairs Forum: chairs of ICBs only; meets quarterly.
- ICB Chief Executives Forum: chief executives of ICBs only; meets quarterly.
- ICB Directors of Strategy Forum: directors of strategy of ICBs; meets quarterly.
- ICB Primary Care Directors Forum: primary care directors of ICBs; meets monthly.
- ICB Governance Leads Forum: ICB governance leads only.
Forums available to all members of The NHS Alliance
- NHS Leaders Forum (successor to NHS Providers’ Chairs and Chief Executives Network): chairs and chief executives from across NHS trusts, ICBs, community CICs and primary care collaboratives. Meets twice yearly with all system leaders invited. Meets twice yearly in sector-specific groups – e.g. NHS trust chairs and chief executives only.
- NHS Non-Executive Directors Forum: Non-executive directors from across NHS trusts and ICBs.
- NHS Workforce Leaders Forum: directors of HR, workforce and organisational development.
- NHS Digital Innovation Leaders Forum: digital and innovation leaders at board level across trusts and ICBs; digital primary care senior leaders; board-level non-statutory members providing NHS funded patient care. Meets quarterly.
- NHS Communications Forum: directors of communications and engagement across trusts, ICBs and other parts of the system; other senior communications leads. Meets quarterly.
- NHS Quality and Safety Forum: series of webinars for board level leaders on key issues relating to quality and safety.
- NHS Work and Health Forum: broad ICB membership including ICB work and health leads, strategy and workforce leads and chairs. Non-ICB membership includes NHS trusts, local/strategic authorities, DWP, VCSE and national colleagues Currently monthly.
- Neighbourhood Leads Forum: primary care, acute, community, mental health and ICB neighbourhood health leads who are responsible for making neighbourhood working a reality at place and system.
- Outpatient Reform Forum: NHS trusts, community trusts, primary care and neighbourhood ICB; anyone involved with outpatient pathway redesign. Meets quarterly.
- EDI Directors Forum: directors, associate directors and high-level strategic leads for EDI or health inequalities within NHS organisations
- NHS BME Leadership Network: black and minority ethnic leaders, aspiring leaders and allies from across the NHS. We convene network members through our three annual in-person events: our anti-racism conference in April, network lunch at NHS ConfedExpo in June and our Black History Month event in October.
- NHS LGBTQ+ Leadership Network: LGBTQ+ leaders, aspiring leaders and allies from across the NHS. We convene members every quarter via virtual meetings and annually for our in-person networking session at NHS ConfedExpo.
- NHS Women Leaders Network: women working at all levels across health and care. We convene members several times a year via mix of in-person and virtual events including our quarterly fireside chats, annual conference and International Women’s Day celebrations.
- NHS Disability Leadership Network: new network.
Our priorities for 2026/27
- Demonstrating the impact of ICBs as commissioners
- Helping you to evolve as strategic commissioners
- Upholding the importance of NHS-local government integration
- Influencing the future NHS operating model
We will continue to work as one voice to influence the centre on members' behalf while also creating new opportunities for peer-led learning, development and improvement.