Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the 50 per cent cut to integrated care board running costs and the wider restructuring of NHS England on regional capacity to deliver the Frontline Productivity Programme; and what additional support they intend to provide to regions whose capacity has been reduced as a result.

NHS England has accepted the findings of the recent Gateway Review and is taking forward the agreed actions as a priority. The review identified the need for a clearer, integrated articulation of how the Frontline Productivity Programme’s investments and delivery activities combine to achieve the productivity outcomes set out in the approved business case. The framework will be completed by the end of October 2026, and will establish a consistent end-to-end view of delivery, benefits, ownership, and reporting across the programme, supporting the management of dependencies, reducing the risk of duplication, and strengthening future investment decisions.