Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication, The government's mandate to NHS England for 2018-19, published on 20 March 2018, for what reasons the (a) 18 week waiting time target for elective surgery and (b) 4 hour waiting time for emergencies will not be met until 2020; and if he will make a statement.

The Government has made clear to NHS England and to Parliament that for Referral to Treatment (RTT), the agreed standard is nothing less than the statutory standard. The Government remain committed to the accident and emergency (A&E) waiting time standards. The November 2017 budget announced additional National Health Service revenue funding of £1.6 billion for 2018/19, part of which will be used by the NHS to treat a quarter of a million more patients in A&E than the 23.5 million it expects to treat this financial year, and at the same time improve A&E performance.

The 2018-19 Government mandate to NHS England continues the multi-year approach to the mandate established since 2016-17 where we have carried forward the same overarching objectives to 2020 with only one significant change (the role of NHS England to support the Government to make a success of European Union Exit in regards to health and care). 2020 goals and annual deliverables from 2017-18 are also being carried forward with only essential changes. This is to provide continued stability for NHS England and the wider NHS to focus on improving performance on core patient access standards whilst maintaining progress on key commitments in the NHS’s plan, the Five Year Forward View.

The decision to roll forward the mandate, alongside providing an additional £2.8 billion for the NHS between 2017-18 and 2019-20, reflects the Government’s commitment to supporting the NHS to deliver essential improvements in elective care 18-week RTT and A&E waiting times.