Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the basis for the NHS funding formula was last reviewed.

NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to clinical commissioning groups. This process is independent of government and NHS England takes advice Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA). The underlying formula and data are kept under review and changes made in line with CCG allocations.

In 2019/20 these changes included the introduction of a new community services formula, that has the effect of better recognising needs in some rural, coastal and remote areas that on average tend to have much older populations, and higher needs for certain community services.

Further information on ACRA’s priorities for methodological improvements in the next round of allocations was set out in the Chair of the committee’s letter to the Chief Executive of NHS England. Further information can be found in NHS England’s supporting ‘Note on Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Allocations 2019/20-2023/24’ at Annex A, at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/note-on-ccg-allocations-2019-20-2023-24.pdf