Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what NHS England's functions are; and which (a) existing and (b) new Government bodies will take those functions on.

NHS England is being abolished as an arm’s length body and being brought back into the department. Ministers will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir James Mackey, to lead this transformation and return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department.

The functions of NHS England are set out in legislation, these include but are not limited to:

- Commissioning services in the National Health Service;

- The establishment, oversight and support of integrated care boards;

- The oversight and support of NHS trusts and foundation trusts;

- Designing, developing and operating national digital and technology products and services and disseminate data to support the health and care system;

- Planning, recruiting, educating and training the health workforce; and

- Overseeing and promoting the use of research and innovation within the health service.

The team will be focussed on ensuring that layers of bureaucracy are cut and more resources flow to the frontline as well as grasping the untapped potential of the NHS as a single payer public service, to get cutting-edge technology and treatments into the hands of staff and patients much faster and secure a better deal for taxpayers.