Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the percentage of NHS services provided by private healthcare providers (a) on 6 September 2025 and (b) at the end of the 10 Year Health Plan period.

The 10-Year Health Plan builds on the Elective Reform Plan and the Independent Sector Partnership Agreement, published in January 2025. It reinforces the commitment to use available capacity in the independent sector to treat National Health Service patients, driving choice and empowerment for more patients, and further commits enter discussions to expand NHS provision in the most disadvantaged areas to tackle health inequalities.

The overall proportion of health spending on independent sector providers has not increased significantly over recent years. In 2013/14, 6.1% or £6.5 billion of total health spending was spent on purchase of healthcare from independent sector providers. In 2023/24, this was 6.8% or £12.4 billion. No estimate has been made of the percentage of NHS services provided by independent sector providers or private companies on 6 September 2025. In the recently published data for NHS elective care activity, covering activity in June 2025, independent sector providers delivered 8% of activity.

No forecasting has been undertaken of the expected volumes of activity undertaken by independent sector providers or private companies at the end of the 10-Year Health Plan period.