Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the (a) full or (b) part privatisation of NHS Professionals; and if he will make a statement.

Currently NHS Professionals Ltd works with around a third of National Health Service trusts, saving over £40 million a year by providing bank staff cheaper than agencies. The Department's sole objective is to expand this good work into more trusts, thus boosting efficiency and improving patient care.

The Department has been exploring a range of potential options, to help NHS Professionals drive further value for the NHS, and enable NHS Professionals to become more agile and flexible to meet the needs of the NHS. No final decisions have yet been made by Ministers about the future of NHS Professionals.