NW London update
NW London System Update: March 2026
Foreword by chief executive

Welcome to our March update.

Thank you to the many colleagues who have reached out since my appointment as Interim CEO. As explained below, this will be our last update as NHS North West London, but we will of course keep you up to date with the work of the new NHS West and North London ICB.

I’m really pleased to be joining at such an important point and wanted to say hello to the many system partners and stakeholders I will be working alongside. I look forward to taking forward the merger and establishing the new West and North London ICB as an ambitious, progressive and impactful organisation, which is really making a difference to the lives of people across West and North London.

Having completed our staff consultation and structures for the new ICB and carefully considered the extensive feedback, we are now moving forward with revised structures and recruitment will take place to these in the weeks and months ahead. Please note that this is a challenging time for our staff, with many valued colleagues moving on under the voluntary redundancy scheme and others facing uncertainty as they compete for roles in the new ICB. My absolute priority is to support our staff through this period.

I very much enjoyed attending our regular Residents’ Forum this week – it is clearly a meeting that is valued by attendees and it was good to hear about the ICB’s work with communities and the voluntary and community sector during winter, and the important public consultation currently taking place on the future of Mount Vernon Cancer Centre. I’d encourage anyone with an interest in that consultation to take part – details of how to do so are set out in this

I’ve also been very impressed by the palliative care review in north west London, which has involved local people from the outset and adapted its recommendations following feedback from residents. There is an update on progress and next steps below.

I look forward to meeting more of you in the weeks ahead as West and North London ICB is established. 


Best wishes,

Katie Fisher, Chief Executive Officer, NHS North West London
New Interim Chief Executive Officer announced

Following a recruitment process, Katie Fisher has been appointed as the new interim Chief Executive Officer for North Central London and North West London ICBs, taking a secondment from her substantive role as Chief Executive Officer at South West London ICB.

This follows Frances O’Callaghan’s departure on 31 January 2026.

Katie joins the organisations on a nine-month secondment from her current role as CEO of South West London ICB.

She will oversee the launch of West and North London ICB, which will come into effect from 1 April 2026.  It will be the largest ICB in England, strategically commissioning services for 4.5m Londoners across 13 boroughs.

Adult Community Specialist Palliative Care in North West London update

Since 2021, NHS North West London has worked with residents, families, clinicians, hospices and community groups to understand what matters most in specialist palliative and end‑of‑life care. Together we developed a fair, compassionate model aligned with national aims for personalised, high‑quality support.

We began rolling out improvements from October 2025 with an expectation all improvements will be in place by October 2027, with many people already benefiting from better access, longer hours and stronger support.

An update on progress and next steps is now available on the NHS North West London website.
Have your say on the future of specialist cancer services at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre
People across north west London are being encouraged to share their views on the proposals to relocate the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Hillingdon to a new, purpose‑built facility next to Watford General Hospital. The public consultation is now open, giving patients, residents, staff and partners the chance to help shape the future of these vital services.

The centre supports patients across Hertfordshire, north west London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and east Berkshire, and is used by people living in Hillingdon, followed by Harrow, Ealing and Brent. Your experiences and views matter, and they will help ensure that any future service reflects what local people need.

These proposals aim to secure modern, sustainable cancer care by bringing services together on a site with essential medical support such as A&E and critical care. This would improve access to the latest treatments, research opportunities, and high‑quality facilities.  

How you can take part

Everyone is invited to get involved and have their say by:
  • reading the full proposal
  • completing the online survey
  • joining an online or in‑person event to share your views.
The consultation is now open and provides an important opportunity for communities in North West London to help shape the future of cancer care.

Find all the details and take part.

The public consultation closes on the 29 March 2026.
Adult Community Specialist Palliative Care in North West London update
Since 2021, NHS North West London has worked with residents, families, clinicians, hospices and community groups to understand what matters most in specialist palliative and end‑of‑life care. Together we developed a fair, compassionate model aligned with national aims for personalised, high‑quality support.

We began rolling out improvements from October 2025 with an expectation all improvements will be in place by October 2027, with many people already benefiting from better access, longer hours and stronger support.

An update on progress and next steps is now available on the NHS North West London website.
North West London Residents’ Forum
Our regular residents forum took place 9 March and was held online. Over 65 people attended and the meeting included an introduction and Q&A with Katie Fisher, a presentation onwork done via the voluntary and community sector to reach diverse communities with key information in winter and an update on the public consultation on Mount Vernon Cancer Centre. Thank you to all those who joined.
Use and control of data
NHS North West London is currently working with NHS North Central London ICB (NCL) to prepare for the creation of a single Integrated Care Board covering both areas from April 2026. During this transition period, we may need to share limited and appropriate information with colleagues in NCL for planning, assurance and preparation activities that support the safe and effective establishment of the future organisation. Any information shared will be handled in line with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and our existing information governance obligations.

At this time, NHS NW London is the data controller; this will change to the new West and North London ICB from 1 April 2026.
Future communications
As you would expect, we have been reviewing our communications as part of the merger process. This will be the last NHS North West London update as we will merge with North Central London in April – but we will continue to keep you all up to date on our work.