The new framework describes a consistent and transparent approach to assessing integrated care boards (ICBs) and NHS trusts and foundation trusts, ensuring public accountability for performance and providing a foundation for how NHS England works with systems and providers to support improvement.

This 1-year framework sets out how NHS England will assess providers and ICBs, alongside a range of agreed metrics, promoting improvement while helping us identify quickly where organisations need support.

The framework is supported by a focused set of national priorities, including those set out in the Planning guidance for 2025/26, aiming to strengthen local autonomy. These are presented alongside wider contextual metrics that reflect medium-term goals in areas such as inequalities and outcomes.

Our assessment will be the starting point for how we work with organisations throughout the year and will help us determine how we can support them to improve. We will do this by considering an organisation’s segment score, as set out in this framework, and leadership capability.

The framework will be reviewed in 2026/27 to incorporate work to implement the ICB operating model and to take account of the ambitions and priorities in the 10 Year Health Plan.

• NHS Oversight Framework 2025/26