NHS England: Staff Costs

Lord Kakkar Excerpts

Monday 21st July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

Tackling health inequalities is one of the priorities of this Government, but the noble Lord raises an important point. It is a sad fact that, around the country, people’s experience of health services and health outcomes are very variable. However, we need to allow the people looking into this to do their work and bring forward solutions, working with ICBs and looking at how we can become far more efficient in our delivery of services. That will ultimately have an enormous benefit to patients.

[Lord Kakkar (CB)]

My Lords, I draw noble Lords’ attention to my registered interest as chairman of King’s Health Partners. At the time when the decision was taken for NHS England to be fully incorporated into the Department of Health and Social Care, two other important agencies were completing their incorporation into NHS England—namely, NHS Digital and Health Education England. The functions of those two agencies in marshalling NHS data and its analysis and in providing for the continuing development of the NHS workforce are critical. Is the Minister able to confirm how those important functions are being protected during this period of transition of NHS England into the department?