Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to ensure that (a) the Health and Care Bill and (b) other legislative proposals supports the NHS’s aim to be for public good, rather than private profit.

The Bill establishes integrated care boards (ICBs) as National Health Service bodies directly accountable for NHS spending and performance. The overwhelming majority of services paid for by the NHS will continue to be provided by NHS organisations.

The work of ICBs will be driven by health outcomes, not profit with safeguards in place to protect the interests of the public and the NHS. The ICB chair has the power to veto membership of the board and NHS England has the power to issue guidance to ICBs in relation to appointments, alongside the robust requirements on ICBs to manage conflicts of interests. We propose to bring forward an amendment to protect the independence of ICBs by preventing individuals with significant interests in private healthcare from membership on the boards.