For many Integrated Care Boards, the closure of CSUs has created a strange situation. On paper, ICBs are gaining more influence over how their digital environments are managed and supported. In reality, many are faced with more IT responsibility than they were ever expected to handle directly.
The good part is that local organisations now have the chance to be more in control of their systems. The problem is that, especially during the transition period, many are feeling anything but in control.
The obvious solution is hiring internal IT staff to bring more structure and oversight into the organisation. But across the NHS, costs are already a sensitive subject. So how can ICBs regain control of their IT systems and digital environment without significantly increasing financial pressures?
Expanding internal teams is not the answer
For many NHS organisations, cost pressures are already shaping almost every operational decision being made. Reports show that 64% of NHS trust and ICB leaders said they are likely to reduce or cut patient services in order to meet financial plans. 86% believe cost improvement plans will be even harder to deliver in 2026/27 than the previous year. At the same time, 88% of trust and ICB respondents said they are likely to reduce non-clinical staffing. That makes the idea of building larger dedicated internal IT teams increasingly difficult to justify from a purely financial perspective.
The alternative is often to ask existing teams to take on additional digital responsibilities alongside their current workloads. But with staff morale already a major concern, placing more pressure on already stretched teams can create even greater operational instability, rather than restoring control.
A different solution needs to be considered.
Introducing IT partners
Managed IT partners can provide many of the same behind-the-scenes operational functions that organisations previously relied on from CSUs. These include infrastructure support, Microsoft 365 management, cybersecurity oversight, monitoring, maintenance and user support. And even more importantly, they can help organisations regain visibility and stability during challenging periods.
Some organisations hand complete day-to-day IT management over to an external partner so internal teams can focus on running services. Others keep certain responsibilities in-house, while bringing in outside support for areas where extra expertise or additional capacity is needed.
Either way, the goal is the same: giving organisations greater control over their environment – whatever ‘control’ looks like to them – without needing to continuously expand internal staffing.
This solution also creates far greater financial predictability. Instead of additional salaries, recruitment costs and training requirements, organisations gain access to specialist support when they need it. There’s a predictable monthly cost structure without unexpected overheads.
This is already a model relied upon across many industries. And now, as NHS structures continue changing, it’s becoming an increasingly practical option for healthcare organisations, too.
Put your organisation back in control
PSTG helps ICBs review their existing support model, identify operational gaps, and build more proactive support structures that improve control without unnecessarily increasing cost pressures.
From Microsoft 365 and cybersecurity to infrastructure management and long-term planning, we help organisations create IT environments that remain stable and secure, all day, every day.