Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his plans are for the future (a) scope, (b) role and (c) responsibilities of National Clinical Directors.

NHS England and the Department are strongly supportive of clinical leadership and recognise the critical need to incorporate clinical expertise into our work. The national clinical directors are a key part of this approach and play an important role in policy development and implementation.

Ministers and senior Department officials are working with the new executive team in NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to determine the leadership, structure, and requirements needed to support the creation of a new centre for health and care. As part of this process, we are carefully considering the future role of national clinical directors. While no specific decisions have been made yet regarding their scope and responsibilities within the new organisation, their expertise and leadership will continue to be pivotal in shaping the future of healthcare in our country.