To ask His Majesty's Government which financial year or years the additional £250 million announced on 9 January 2023 to speed up hospital discharges relate to; whether this is additional funding or a reallocation of existing budgets; and whether some of the £250 million will be spent on adult social care provided by local government.
Answered on
13 February 2023
The £50 million capital funding announced on 9 January 2023 is a reallocation within the Department’s 2022/23 budget where some underspends have emerged in-year. The funding can be used to provide expanded spaces that can handle larger volumes of patients, for example to expand hospital discharge lounges and ambulance hubs. NHS England has worked with local areas and trusts to identify where the investments are deliverable in this financial year, have the best impact, and fit with their existing estate. The funding will be provided to the individual trusts through issuing public dividend capital.
The £200 million discharge funding announced on 9 January 2023 will provide short-term National Health Service step-down care packages to help ease the pressure on hospital beds. It will be for the local NHS trust to determine the most clinically appropriate settings for community-based care. The funding is held centrally by NHS England and allocated to integrated care boards (ICBs) and has been taken from the Department’s existing 2022/23 budget. ICBs lead on the procurement and purchasing of this additional capacity, working closely with local authorities, in line with local need.