55th Report - Reducing NHS waiting times for elective care
Select Committee
Public Accounts Committee
HC 820
19 November 2025
Government response
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Thirty-fifth report from Session 2024-26 · published 19 Jan 2026
Recommendations & Conclusions
2 results
5
Recommendation
Acknowledged
Require the Department to set out new plans for securing clinical engagement on outpatient transformation.
Recommendation
NHS England’s performance to date has not demonstrated that it can secure the clinical engagement that will be necessary to transform waiting lists. Clinical engagement has worked best when there been close working between national and local clinical leaders, and …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees and states it is strengthening clinical engagement, referencing existing plans and recent engagement events with clinicians, but does not outline specific new actions it will take to secure engagement differently for the outpatients transformation programme.
HM Treasury
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6
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Require Department to confirm no unfunded commitments and assess costs of structural changes.
Conclusion
We are concerned that the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England are still announcing major reforms without either delivery plans or secured funding. We do not accept that it is prudent to make a major change, such …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees, stating ICBs are designing new staffing structures within existing budgets and discussing strengthened Health and Wellbeing Boards' coordination with local authorities, but it does not confirm it will not announce unfunded commitments or provide the requested costs, funding, and impact assessment for ICB redundancies and the absorption of NHS England.
HM Treasury
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