Committee publication · Correspondence · 8 April 2026
Correspondence from Minister Ahmed - NHS Pilots.
Summary
Dr Zubir Ahmed and Professor Claire Fuller respond to nine recommendations from the Health and Social Care Committee's inquiry into NHS pilots. The government addresses funding rebalancing, innovation budget mandates, multi-year planning, commissioning standardisation, pilot transition support, specialist commissioning services like HOPE(S), sickle cell emergency department pilots, diabetes service scaling, and an innovation strategy. Responses combine acceptance of principles with caveats about affordability and local flexibility.
Key findings
- NHS England will consider rebalancing pilot funding toward scaling proven innovations but provides no timeline or commitment.
- The government will not yet mandate 3% innovation budgets for Integrated Care Boards due to NHS financial deficits, deferring to future policy.
- Multi-year innovation planning is supported via the Medium Term Planning Framework; NHS England operates ongoing programmes including Health Innovation Networks and the Clinical Entrepreneurs Programme.
- NHS England is progressing the Innovator Passport to standardise commissioning routes and accelerate adoption of proven innovations.
- National funding for HOPE(S) specialist commissioning is conditional on balancing with local commissioning priorities; the government notes the pilot's mixed results in reducing long-term segregation of people with learning disabilities and autistic people.
- Sickle Cell Emergency Department Bypass Accelerator sites have secured continued funding pending evaluation results, with ongoing stakeholder discussions.
- Innovation and adoption strategy will be embedded within the 10 Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan rather than published as standalone document.
Government position
Partially accepts committee recommendations. Accepts principles of funding rebalancing, multi-year planning, and standardised commissioning, but defers mandatory 3% innovation budgets to future affordability review. Conditional on HOPE(S) funding, citing tension between national mandates and local commissioning flexibility. Substitutes standalone Innovation and Adoption Strategy with policy chapters in existing 10 Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan. Takes measured approach to sickle cell and diabetes pilots pending evaluations and stakeholder input.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Dr Zubir Ahmed, Professor Claire Fuller, Layla Moran, NHS England, Integrated Care Boards, Sickle Cell Society, John James, Professor Tesfaye
Notable line
“… funding and oversight alone may not be sufficient to drive culture change.”
Key Quotes
“NHS England will take the Committee's recommendation into account in future work to design and implement new services.”
“As the immediate focus of the NHS is on restoring financial discipline and addressing financial deficits, we have not yet mandated this approach, as it would not be affordable in every organisation.”
“During the national funding and oversight period for the HOPE(S) pilot, engagement with the model varied across ICBs and providers, suggesting that funding and oversight alone may not be sufficient to drive culture change.”
“National funding for the ED Bypass Accelerator sites was provided for the pilots and an NIHR evaluation was commissioned as part of the pilots. Funding has now been agreed to support the pilot sites until the evaluation results have been received.”
“Instead of a standalone strategy, the Government has set out its approach to innovation and adoption in Chapter 8 of the 10 Year Health Plan, Powering transformation: Innovation to drive reform …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗