Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding was allocated to each Integrated Care Board in England for long covid services in the 2024-25 financial year.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are allocated funding by the National Health Service based on a statistical formula which takes into account population size and needs, so that funding distribution is fair and objective. Further details on ICB funding allocation can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/

The allocation of funding for specialised services, including long COVID, are at the discretion of local ICBs to best meet the needs of their local population.

Commissioning guidance, from December 2023, presents guidelines for the commissioning and oversight of post-COVID services by ICBs in England for adults, and children and young people from April 2024. Since then, in line with the NHS operating framework and the establishment of integrated care systems, the commissioning of post-COVID services has been the responsibility of ICBs. However, according to this guidance, post-COVID services should comprise an integrated pathway of assessment, medical treatment, and multifaceted rehabilitation, including psychology, with direct access to required diagnostics. Referral should be via a single point of access which is managed by clinician-led triage.