Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commission an independent national review into the use of allocation tools in Children’s Continuing Care, with recommendations on legality, safeguarding and transparency, and lay the report before Parliament.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all children, including those with complex health needs, receive appropriate care and support whenever and wherever they need it.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of services to meet the varied needs of their local populations, including for children’s continuing care. It is for ICBs to judge the appropriateness of using allocation tools in their local context. ICBs should also ensure that any use is in line with regulatory and privacy obligations and with the principles of the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care. The framework, published by the Department, provides guidance to support ICBs and local authorities to assess and agree support for children whose needs cannot be met through existing universal or specialist services.

For these reasons, there are no plans to commission an independent national review at this time.