What is the outlook for November‘s long-term plan?
Part of the NHS’s £20.5bn settlement will be ring-fenced for transformation, promises NHS England’s head.
Simon Stevens, who is chief executive of NHS England, was quizzed by MPs from the House of Commons health and social care committee this week, along with Ian Dalton of NHS Improvement.
Simon Stevens promised that the details of the proportion of funding ring-fenced for transformation would be revealed in a long-term plan to be published in November. He added that transformation would have to be phased in alongside efficiencies, but promised that the settlement would not be entirely used to plug existing gaps.
He also talked about funding for cancer care, saying that some funding would be earmarked for cancer programmes, specifically colorectal, lung and prostate cancers.
Capital maintenance came under discussion, too, with Ian Dalton commenting that with an expected capital spend of £3.4bn this year, the government would need to ‘turn on the taps’ on capital funding so that providers’ maintenance backlogs could be addressed.
MPs also received answers to questions about predicting healthcare demands in health systems where large-scale housing schemes were in the pipeline; and about centres of excellence. And there was discussion about access to innovative therapies, with reference to negotiations surrounding a particular portfolio of cystic fibrosis drugs.
Further information
Parliamentlive: Simon Stevens speaks to the health and social care committee