The government welcomes the decision against capital-to-revenue switches and states record capital investment is agreed for 2025-26. It commits that every provider has been sent a bespoke pack for productivity opportunities for 2025-26, and a plan for 2026-27 will be set out after the Spending Review.

The government agrees, detailing actions including training over 20,000 NHS managers and clinicians, supporting the National Retention Programme, deploying Electronic Patient Record systems and the NHS App, shifting care to community settings, and aiming to save £1bn by 2029 through biosimilar medicines uptake. Additionally, providers received 2025-26 productivity packs, and future plans will follow the Spending Review.

The government agrees and states that NHS England regularly reviews and updates funding formulas, committing to do so again before 2026-27 allocations to ensure greater deprivation receives higher funding. It also cites existing programmes like Targeted Lung Health Checks and Mental Health Support Teams as evidence of reaching those most in need.

The government will work to enable planning guidance to be published well in advance of the financial year, and NHSE is working with ICBs to have full plans developed before the start of the 2025-26 financial year.

The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation and will continue to work together and with HM Treasury to improve the planning process and ensure timely publication of guidance to the system, and earlier agreement of priorities and financial allocations for future years, with a target implementation date of December 2025.

The government states that the NHS is working to recover lost productivity, with recent data showing improvement and ongoing efforts focused on clinical productivity, workforce retention, technology, care setting optimization, and maximizing spending value; bespoke packs identifying opportunities have been sent to providers.

The government states that NHS funding allocations already account for deprivation and health inequalities, and that NHSE regularly reviews the formula used to set allocations, noting evidence that NHSE investment is reaching those most in need.

The government states that NHS funding allocations already account for deprivation and health inequalities, and that NHSE regularly reviews the formula used to set allocations, noting evidence that NHSE investment is reaching those most in need.

The department and NHSE recently announced changes to the NHS operating model to move power from the health centre to local leaders. 2025-26 Operational Planning Guidance removed many ringfences, giving local systems greater control and flexibility over how funding is deployed to best meet the needs of their population. NHSE will soon publish a revised NHS oversight framework that will reward those ICBs and providers that are doing well with greater financial freedoms and flexibilities. ICSs already have a duty to base their integrated care strategies upon local joint strategic needs assessments.

The government agrees that sustained increases in capital investment are needed, states that no further capital-to-revenue transfers will be used due to fiscal rules, and highlights that a record £13.6 billion has been agreed for capital investment in health for 2025-26.