Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the ability of Trusts to meet the Elective Recovery Fund thresholds in areas where covid-19 prevalence has been high.

No formal assessment has been made. The Elective Recovery Fund thresholds are set against a baseline of pre-pandemic activity, from 2019-20. Systems are fully funded to deliver these baselines and are encouraged to increase their elective activity to pre-pandemic levels to. access the additional funding.