Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the £1billion announced in the Spending Review 2020 for tackling the elective surgery backlog, when that finding will be made available to NHS organisations; and whether that funding will be released (i) as a single block or (ii) via several smaller amounts at different times.
We are working up detailed plans for making best use of the £1 billion funding to tackle the elective backlog and would expect to communicate the implications for National Health Service providers through NHS operational planning guidance in the usual way.