Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to support University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in the context of that Trust declaring a critical incident on 9 October 2024 and standing down that critical incident on 10 October 2024; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the review of the New Hospital Programme on support for that Trust.

The Government recognises the pressures that the National Health Service is facing, as made clear in the recent independent report undertaken by Lord Darzi. The report, published on 12 September 2024, will inform the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan to reform the health service and ensure the NHS is fit for the future.

The NHS’s operational pressures escalation levels (OPEL) framework provides a standardised approach to support an effective, integrated, and coordinated response to acute trust operational pressures. This includes the actions locally, regionally, and nationally that support the depressurising of services, and ensure patient safety. Further information about the OPEL framework is published by NHS England, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/PRN00551-OPEL-Framework-2023.24-V2.0.pdf

The new hospital scheme for this trust is included in a review of the New Hospital Programme. This review will ensure the scheme is put on a sustainable footing, including a realistic timetable for delivery, and clarity on the funding required.