Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to appoint a royal commission on the NHS; and, if not, why not.

There is currently no plan to establish a Royal Commission. The Government has made clear that the long term sustainability of the National Health Service is a key priority and is backing the NHS’s Five Year Forward View plan with a £10 billion a year real terms increase in funding by 2020/21.

In the November Budget, the Government committed to backing the NHS in England further so that by 2019/20 it will have received an additional £2.8 billion of revenue funding for frontline services than previously planned over the period. This included £337 million this winter to help trusts to increase capacity.

It also committed £3.5 billion of new capital investment by 2022/23 to transform its estate and drive further efficiency savings.

In addition, for other core NHS services, such as mental health and primary care, the Department of is making a further £540 million available through the NHS England Mandate over the coming financial year.

We are actively working with NHS England and national partners to use the period covered by the Five Year Forward View to put in place the necessary steps for the future.