A major shake-up of NHS leadership across west and north London has come into force, with Ealing among 13 boroughs now served by a newly merged regional body overseeing billions in health spending.
The new organisation, NHS West and North London Integrated Care Board, formally launched on Tuesday (1 April 2026), bringing together planning and decision-making for health services across a population of around 4.5 million people. It will control an estimated £12 billion annual budget, making it the largest integrated care board (ICB) in England.
For residents in Ealing, the change means local services will now be coordinated under a single structure working alongside councils, GPs, hospitals and voluntary organisations to shape long-term health strategy.
The 13 boroughs covered are Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham, and Westminster.
Mike Bell, chair of the new board, said: “This is an important moment for health and care across west and north London. From today, we formally bring together two established organisations into one which will serve around 4.5 million people across 13 boroughs.”
He added the newly appointed board would bring “fantastic perspectives” to guide future decisions.
Interim chief executive Katie Fisher said the changes offered an opportunity to rethink how services are delivered, particularly by shifting focus away from hospital-based care.
Ms Fisher said: “So much of the money we spend on services today is for acute care – services where people are already very unwell – in hospitals, or crisis services. While this approach has helped manage short-term pressures, it’s not delivering fair outcomes, and it’s unsustainable.”
The launch follows months of restructuring, including consultations, voluntary redundancies and the introduction of new governance, finance, digital and operational systems.
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, an Ealing Council spokesperson previously said when the merger was announced last year: “We work closely with NHS partners to deliver our Together in Ealing: Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023–2028, which aims to reduce inequalities and improve outcomes by strengthening what we call the building blocks of health – the essential conditions people need to thrive, such as access to quality education, job opportunities, and a healthy environment.
“Public health plays a central role in shaping services that reflect the needs of our communities and support better health for everyone.”
