Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans NHS Improvement has to identify the cost of delivering good care in a multiple pregnancy; and whether that body intends to update the maternity tariff to reflect that cost.

In the maternity pathway payment system, a multiple pregnancy would automatically lead to a higher tariff at all points of the pathway.

NHS Improvement are currently working with the sector with a view to developing the policies to be included in the statutory consultation for the 2017/18 national tariff, including the maternity pathway system. NHS Improvement plans to publish the statutory consultation in the autumn.