Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional funding is provided to Integrated Care Boards to manage seasonal changes in population in West Dorset constituency.

NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs). This process is independent of the Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.

ICBs then decide how that money is spent within the local integrated care system, and are responsible for planning service provision in their local area. In doing so, ICBs should consider how local funding can be deployed to best meet the needs of their local population.

The initial population data used in setting resource allocations is the 12-month average of general practice registrations. This captures seasonal patterns, such as areas with high numbers of students or seasonal workers, better than using the population at a specific time would.