Health and Social Care (Buckinghamshire)

Health and Social Care – in the House of Commons at on 28 January 2020.

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Photo of Steven Baker Steven Baker Conservative, Wycombe

If his Department will fund the digital transformation of health and social care services in Buckinghamshire; and if he will make a statement.

Photo of Matthew Hancock Matthew Hancock Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

We are driving forward the technology agenda across the NHS, as we have just been discussing. Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is one of the many trusts being considered for digital aspirant funding, which is the next generation of funding to bring hospital trusts into the 21st century.

Photo of Steven Baker Steven Baker Conservative, Wycombe

I am grateful for that, but will the Secretary of State support moving to devolved, multi-year and unified budgets, to enable the delivery of digital technology and, in particular, best value, against specific outcomes?

Photo of Matthew Hancock Matthew Hancock Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Yes, my hon. Friend is spot on. We recognise the need for a multi-year capital settlement in the NHS to support exactly that sort of planning and to modernise, and the Treasury has confirmed that we will publish that settlement at the next capital review.

Secretary of State

Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.