Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what threshold NHS England applies when determining whether to take action against an integrated care board under section 14Z61 of the National Health Service Act 2006.

NHS England’s published enforcement guidance sets out how it uses its enforcement powers and the regulatory and statutory processes in the event of enforcement action. The guidance states that directions under section 14Z61 should only be issued as a last resort where voluntary action has not proved possible and NHS England must be satisfied that the integrated care board is failing or has failed to discharge its functions, or that there is a significant risk it will do so.