Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the capability, and (2) the capacity, of the private acute healthcare sector to assist in the reduction of waiting times for elective surgery.

The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement have worked with the independent sector on a national basis to increase capacity and resource within the National Health Service, adding around 8,000 beds and 20,000 clinical staff.

On 29 April 2020, NHS England and NHS Improvement wrote to the NHS setting out the second phase of the NHS response to COVID-19. The NHS has been asked to make full use of all contracted independent sector hospital and diagnostic capacity in restarting routine elective treatment, prioritising long waiters first. A copy of the letter from NHS England and NHS Improvement to the NHS is attached.