Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether patients will be able to access private healthcare services provided through the NHS on the NHS app.

We estimate there are around 450 independent sector providers that are providing National Health Service services via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). There is no classification of private healthcare or independent sector in the e-RS Directory of Services. Patients can already access referrals to these private healthcare providers via the NHS App where they have been shortlisted by their GP.