Thank you for your request for information about the following:

1. For the 2021-22 financial year what was the NHS Business Service Authority budget for the Healthy Start scheme [as opposed to spend].
2. For the 2022-23 financial year what was the NHS Business Service Authority budget for the Healthy Start scheme [as opposed to spend].
3. For the 2021-22 financial year if a breakdown could be provided on Healthy Start scheme spending of [a] payments to recipients, [b] administrative running of the scheme, [c] promotional activities and [d] any other outstanding spends.
4. For the 2022-23 financial year if a breakdown could be provided on Healthy Start scheme spending of [a] payments to recipients, [b] administrative running of the scheme, [c] promotional activities and [d] any other outstanding spends.

This was subsequently clarified when you answered our queries as follows:

Please could you specify what would be classed as administrative costs:

• This may include salaries, staff training, IT and any outsourcing for staff/IT/legal.

Surrounding the request for the data and costs of 21/22; the Healthy Start Scheme was in transition from the incumbent supplier and the figures would not be comparable to our first year as a digitised and directed service.

• Understood. Could this timeframe be altered to the complete take over date of the scheme by the NHSBSA to 5 April 2022.

As a final confirmation, based on questions 3 & 4 does this refer to costs from the NHSBSA?

• Apologies, yes costs from the NHSBSA.

Your clarified request was received on 9 November 2023 and I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Response

Please note the figures provided are factual as of the end of November 2023, but are subject to change until the external audit process is complete. The financial accounts for 2022/23 will not be official until the final account process is finalised on completion of the audit which can sometimes cross over financial years.

Question 1

The budget for the NHSBSA to run the NHS Healthy Start scheme in the 2021-22 financial year was £4,141,196.00.

The NHSBSA was directed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to deliver the NHS Healthy Start service from 1 November 2021.

Question 2

The budget for the NHSBSA to run the NHS Healthy Start scheme in the 2022-23 financial year was £10,685,783.00.

Question 3

a: Payments to recipients are paid through a DHSC held budget and are separate from the NHSBSA administrative costs for running the scheme therefore the cost to NHSBSA is £0.

b: Administrative running of the scheme: £3,751,403.43

c: Promotional activities: £ 34,286.20

This does not include the costs of directly contacting everyone on the paper voucher scheme several times, which came from the operational budget. Over 500,000 invitations were sent out to encourage people to apply to the scheme, with some people receiving up to seven direct communications.

d: Any other outstanding spends: £0.00

Question 4

a: Payments to recipients are paid through a DHSC held budget and are separate from the NHSBSA administrative costs for running the scheme therefore the cost to NHSBSA is £0.

b: Administrative running of the scheme: £10,848,286.96

c: Promotional activities: £71,332.25

d: Any other outstanding spends: £0.00

Data Queries

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing the data please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

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http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

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