Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England’s vaccination strategy, published on 13 December 2023, what assessment her Department has made of Integrated Care Boards’ readiness to take on responsibility for commissioning vaccination services by April 2025.

NHS England and its regional commissioning teams are working with integrated care boards (ICBs) to prepare for any future delegation of commissioning responsibility for vaccination services. This is likely to include a period of formal joint working between NHS England teams and ICBs to support collaborative decision-making. As with any delegation process, an assessment of ICB readiness will be required prior to any changes being made and the Department will be involved in this assessment. Following delegation, ICBs will need to provide assurance to NHS England that they are exercising the delegated functions safely and effectively, in line with the NHS Oversight Framework.

NHS England will remain accountable to the Secretary of State for the delivery and performance of national vaccination programmes as set out in the NHS public health functions.