News alert / Allocations to meet costs of industrial action

NHS England has announced it is allocating a total of £800m to trusts to help them cover the costs of industrial action. In a letter addressing the financial challenges created by strikes in 2023/24, it sets out the funding and actions the NHS has been asked to take following discussions with government. NHS England estimates the more than 40 days of industrial action this financial year have created unavoidable financial costs of £1bn, with an equivalent loss of elective activity. As well as the £800m – sourced from a combination of reprioritised national budgets and new funding – NHS England is reducing the elective activity target for 2023/24 to a national average of 103%, which will be maintained for the remainder of the financial year, and is allocating systems their full elective recovery funding. (See News)