Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will make an assessment on the potential impact on patient health and wellbeing of people who have had to use private healthcare due to (a) waiting times for NHS treatment and (b) the treatment needed being unavailable on the NHS.

We have no plans to make a specific assessment.

NHS England and integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning healthcare services to meet the needs of the population, taking account of healthcare priorities and available evidence, informed by guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.