Planned cuts to staffing levels risk driving Integrated Care Boards (ICB) to look inwards over the coming months, a report has warned.

The report by The King's Fund charity said the cuts could hit ICB's ‘wider work with local partners'.

ICBs have been told to make 30% cuts in their running costs by April 2025 - 20% by next April and a further 10% the following year - with no uplift for inflation, meaning the real terms cut will be much higher.

Some of the resulting burden is expected to shift onto councils.

An ICB source said: ‘To avoid all the effort of identifying such cuts and consulting with staff twice, some at least are opting to do it all in one go.

'There will be a big cut in staff numbers at the ICBs.

'That means looking at what functions or parts of functions they can get system partners such as local authorities to do.

‘Adult social care directors and children's services directors are involved in some of the cost reduction discussions, but councils won't get extra money.

'The savings are supposedly going straight to frontline health services.

‘You also have to ask whether the ICBs are really focusing on their partners and the system when just a year after the last shakedown and reorganisation they've got to find such massive savings.'

Another ICB source added: ‘The cuts are so sweeping.

'It's really demoralising.'