Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust are moving towards a formal NHS Group Model, culminating in the creation of a single Group Board from 1 April 2026.
The plan has a strategic rationale, robust governance framework, leadership model and phased timeline for the transition. Crucially, it means both Trusts maintain their sovereignty and legal independence whilst benefitting from strengthened collaboration, consistency and shared leadership across the two organisations.
Serving overlapping populations and with similar operational, workforce and financial pressures, the plan ensures that deeper collaboration will help us go further and faster on improvement, transformation and reform, particularly in areas such as quality, equity, workforce development and use of resources.
Key drivers for the change include reducing differences in outcomes and patient experience, improving access to safe, high‑quality care, creating a larger, more flexible workforce and consistent leadership expectations. It will also bring benefits in strengthening both organisations’ role as anchor institutions and reducing duplication, in governance and assurance, all while preserving local identity through enabling shared strategic leadership.
Under the new structure, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust will operate under a single Group Board, established as a Joint Committee of both sovereign Trust Boards, supported by a suite of joint committees covering quality, finance & productivity, people and infrastructure. Whilst several committees have already begun transitioning to joint arrangements, each trust will maintain its own integration and audit committees.
