Recommendation 2

At our evidence session the Department and NHSE&I appeared unwilling to make measurable commitments about what new funding for elective recovery would achieve in terms of additional NHS capacity and reduced patient waiting times. NHSE&I will receive an additional £8 billion for elective care recovery and £5.9 billion for capital between 2022–23 and 202425. Government expects that this additional funding will enable elective care activity to be 30% higher than pre-pandemic levels. However, the Department and NHSE&I have not set out in meaningful detail what the money will be spent on. NHSE&I is planning for 566 more elective care beds, but this appears to be a small number compared with the scale of the problem. Recommendation: In implementing its elective recovery plan, NHSE&I should set out clearly: • timeframes, costs and outputs of the components of the recovery plan covering elective care and cancer care to 2024–25; • the longer-term investments and plans that are being made now to improve the resilience of elective care and cancer care beyond 2024–25; and, • the national performance levels expected in each year between now and 2024–25.