ICBs receive greater flexibility on contract arrangements for neighbourhood services

TkKurikawa/Getty Images

By Daniel Pye

Integrated care boards will be given greater flexibility on contract arrangements for primary care networks to support the development of neighbourhood services, NHS England has revealed.

In an explanatory note sent to GP providers, NHS England announced it had published a variation to the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) Specification 2026/27.

The update, which takes effect from 1 May, enables ICBs to request local variations to the DES.

“This allows greater flexibility to tailor arrangements to local circumstances where existing local contractual routes may not be sufficient,” it stated.

“The changes could support ICBs that are developing neighbourhood services by using the Network Contract DES framework.”

The government’s 10 Year Health Plan, published last July, pledged to shift care from hospitals into the community through the development of 250 neighbourhood health centres (NHCs) across England.