Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to take steps to reduce the growth in spending on NHS continuing healthcare without reducing the standards of care provided to patients.

NHS England’s NHS Continuing Healthcare Strategic Improvement Programme aims to provide fair access to NHS Continuing Healthcare in a way which ensures better outcomes, better experience, and better use of resources.

Planned efficiencies are not predicated on changes to eligibility or on limiting the care packages available. Clinical commissioning groups have a responsibility to ensure high standards of care and a reduction in the growth in spending will not impact this.