Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan and NHS Planning Guidance commitments for 2019-20, what progress his Department has made on ensuring that (a) NHS England introduces more accurate assessment of needs for community health and mental health services and (b) the allocations formulae for those services are more responsive to areas of greatest health inequalities and unmet need; and if he will make a statement.

NHS England is responsible for decisions on the weighted capitation formula used to allocate resources between clinical commissioning groups. This process is independent of Government. NHS England takes advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA), a group of academics and other experts.

As referenced in the National Health Service planning guidance, for the latest round of allocations covering the period 2019-20 to 2023-24, ACRA has made a number of recommendations that have been implemented.

Over the next five years, NHS England will use the health inequalities adjustments to the national funding formula to target additional funds at areas with high health inequalities.

As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, an Implementation Framework will be published shortly which will set out the next steps the NHS will take to deliver the commitments and the national activity and support available to systems. The Implementation Framework will assist local health systems, who will build on the engagement already taking place across the country, in developing their strategic Long Term Plan implementation plan over the summer. NHS England and Improvement will then publish a national implementation plan in the autumn.