Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Integrated Care Boards are required to publish the (a) evidence base, (b) modelling assumptions and (c) workforce capacity assessments used to determine commissioned elective activity levels against projected population demand.

There is no current requirement for integrated care boards (ICBs) to publish either the evidence base, modelling assumptions, or workforce capacity assessments used to determine commissioned elective activity levels against projected population demand.

National Health Service funding for local services, including elective activity, is allocated to ICBs using NHS England’s Fair Share model and the NHS resource allocation formula.

Medium Term Planning Framework has set clear expectations for improvements in access, levels of performance, and financial discipline. In 2026/27, every NHS trust must deliver a minimum 7% improvement in 18-week performance or be at a minimum of 65%, whichever is greater, to deliver national performance target of 70%. In line with this expectation, NHS England has engaged with systems on the development, assurance, and sign-off of ICB and NHS trust plans to ensure delivery of this ambition alongside the others set out in the planning framework.