Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps he has taken to improve the financial situation of NHS trusts across England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

The National Health Service leadership bodies have set out their own plan for delivering financial sustainability for the NHS, in the Five Year Forward View (October 2014) and Strengthening Financial Performance and Accountability document (July 2016). This plan sets out how individual NHS organisations should address spending pressures, instil financial discipline, tackle inefficiencies and deliver financial sustainability.

To support that plan we are investing in the NHS. Funding will increase by £10 billion in real terms over the six years since the Five Year Forward View was published. This additional funding will help to improve NHS trusts’ financial position and transform services for patients based on that planned investment — subject to strict conditions. This will allow hospitals to focus their efforts on making the NHS a truly seven day service, offering the same excellent world class care every day of the week.

We have provided an additional £3.8 billion in 2016-17 alone, which includes a £1.8 billion Sustainability and Transformation Fund to help NHS providers to move to a financially sustainable footing.

There is no room for complacency. That is why the NHS needs to stick to its strong financial plan, supported by our £10 billion investment and series of measures to help hospitals become more efficient and reduce the use of expensive agency staff.