Thank you for your request for information about the following:

On behalf of Lancashire County Council I write to you in order to request information under the rights accorded by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 pertaining to the Healthy Start scheme, specifically for:

1) An explanation as to why the NHS Business Services Authority has not published any data- including at the national, regional, local authority, and ward level- on the numbers and percentages of eligible families (denominators), and uptake of/participation in (numerators) the Healthy Start scheme, since March 2022

2) Definitive timetable that states clearly when these data will be published at these geographic levels, and at what frequency.

As an upper tier local authority, along with others, LCC has a responsibility to both monitor and promote the uptake of this scheme amongst its' eligible populations, particularly so during a period of unprecedented cost of living rises such as we are experiencing of late.

These data are vital in enabling us to target accurately, efforts to identify and promote uptake of the Healthy Start scheme particularly in areas where eligibility for the scheme is higher, but where its' uptake percentage is lower, and where larger numbers of eligible but not yet registered families live.

No local authority or health related body can do this work without these data.

Your request was received on 1 November 2022, and I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Response

Question 1

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) delivers the NHS Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The NHSBSA relies on data from third parties to calculate the uptake of the scheme. The NHSBSA does not currently hold this data from April 2022 onwards. NHSBSA continues to work closely with DHSC and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to obtain the relevant data.

Question 2

I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHS Business Services Authority.

The NHSBSA continues to work with DWP to gain the eligibility data to enable reporting on the uptake of the NHS Healthy Start scheme. The DWP has stated the eligibility data will be made available to the NHSBSA by the end of December 2022. When the NHSBSA has access to the data, the percentage uptake will be calculated at national, regional and local authority level, and will be published monthly on the NHS Healthy Start website.

Data Queries

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

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact nhsbsa.communicationsteam@nhs.net. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

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

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement:

“NHSBSA Copyright 2022” This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence:

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

Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.