Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of HMRC mileage rates on health and care workers undertaking home visits.

No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of HM Revenue and Customs’ mileage rates on health and care workers undertaking home visits. The Department of Health and Social Care looks at pressures on health and care services in the round, both at fiscal events such as budgets and spending reviews, and on an ongoing basis.

The vast majority of care workers are employed by private sector providers who set their terms and conditions independent of the Government. Local authorities work with care providers to determine fee rates, which should take account of employment costs, based on local market conditions.

Agenda for Change staff and resident doctors in England are reimbursed for travel which is incurred in the performance of their duties in line with their respective terms and conditions. These staff currently receive 59 pence per mile for the first 3,500 miles travelled in a year, before the rate drops to 24 pence per subsequent mile. The NHS Staff Council, which is responsible for maintaining the National Health Service terms and conditions of service, is currently negotiating a new mechanism that will determine a fair reimbursement rate for miles incurred by these staff. Further updates on their work will be made in due course.