Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure clear accountability for vaccination commissioning and delivery following the withdrawal of Section 7A of the National Health Service Act 2006 and the abolition of NHS England; and what role the Department of Health and Social Care will play in independently evaluating performance across Integrated Care Boards.

From April 2027, integrated care boards (ICBs) will take on responsibility and accountability for commissioning vaccination services. This includes taking on responsibility for improving uptake towards the targets for vaccination coverage which are currently set out as key performance indicators in the National Health Service public health functions agreement 2026 to 2027. These targets will be maintained through delegation.

The NHS Oversight Framework provides a consistent approach to assessing how well providers and ICBs are delivering for patients and supporting improvement. Uptake of the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine and healthcare worker flu vaccine are included in the metrics used to assess ICB performance. The Department is continuing to develop the detail of our approach to oversight and accountability of the system as part of the transformation to merge NHS England into the Department.

Throughout this period and beyond we will continue to support new vaccination programmes with clear, time-bound delivery plans working with national partners, including the UK Health Security Agency, and partners throughout the system including, from April 2027, offices for pan-ICB commissioning and ICBs.

We will also continue to support commissioners to arrange high-quality vaccination services including supporting a strong core offer through general practice and school-age immunisation services as well as the arrangement of effective supplementary and targeted outreach services that drive uptake where needed and appropriate for population health needs.