Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of shared decision in supporting greater action on prevention and health inequalities as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan.

The Health and Care Act 2022 requires the creation of integrated care partnerships, which are designed to involve a wide range of partners in developing a shared integrated care strategy for addressing local needs. This will include local authority partners, the integrated care board, providers and other partners. Integrated care partnerships should consider population health, prevention and tackling health disparities when preparing these strategies, as set out in the statutory guidance.