Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice (a) Monitor and (b) the Trust Development Authority has issued to NHS trusts in England about postponing elective operations and outpatient appointments during the winter period.

As in previous winters Jim Mackey, head of NHS Improvement (which includes both Monitor and the Trust Development Authority) sent a letter to NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Trust Chief Executive Officers on 3 December 2015.

The letter suggested as a guide to aim for 20% unoccupied general and acute bed capacity by Christmas Eve and stated that this might involve rescheduling of elective work. Winter always places extra demand on the NHS and we are working hard with hospitals to ensure they are fully prepared to meet this challenge. Managing planned non-emergency operations and helping patients to get out of hospital more quickly are examples of how hospitals can make sure they have enough free beds to cope with the rising number of patients needing emergency care that the winter period often brings.