Part 1: Health Service in England: Integration, Collaboration and Other Changes NHS England Section 15: Funding for service integration
This section makes amendments to sections 223B ("Funding of NHS England") and 223GA ("Expenditure on integration") of the NHS Act 2006 to make provision for a fund for the purposes of service integration, known as the Better Care Fund. Section 223B already places a duty on the Secretary of State to make an annual payment to NHS England which is attributable to the exercise of its functions for that year, and the amendment allows for the Secretary of State to provide directions requiring NHS England to use a specified amount of this annual payment for purposes relating to service integration. Amended section 223GA provides that, where the Secretary of State has given a direction about the use by NHS England of the annual amount paid to them for purposes relating to service integration, that NHS England may direct integrated care boards that a designated amount of the annual payment is to be used for purposes of service integration.
	Subsection (2)(a) substitutes subsection (6) of section 223B to allow the Secretary of State to direct NHS England to use a sum paid under that section for purposes relating to service integration in respect of a financial year. This power to direct NHS England replaces the previous requirement to specify this sum in the mandate to NHS England under section 13A.
	New subsection (6)(b) of section 223B provides that the Secretary of State may direct NHS England as to how this sum should be used.
	Subsection (2)(c) inserts new subsections (7A) and (7B). Subsection (7A) provides that the power to direct NHS England about the use of the sum includes the power to direct them as to the exercise of any of its functions under or by virtue of section 223GA (this includes directions requiring consultation with the Secretary of State or other specified persons). New subsection (7B) requires the Secretary of State to publish any direction that is given under subsection (6) of section 223B.
	Subsection (3)(a) substitutes section 223GA(1) and (2) to provide that where the Secretary of State has given NHS England a direction under section 223B(6)(a) about sums paid to it for service integration purposes, NHS England may direct integrated care boards that a designated amount of their financial allocation must be used for purposes relating to service integration. This replaces the requirement for the mandate to specify service integration objectives before NHS England can exercise this power.
	Subsection (3)(c) omits subsection (7) of section 223GA which provided that requirements in the mandate relating to service integration could also include requirements to consult the Secretary of State or other specified persons. This has been recreated by inserting (7A) into section 223B.
	"Service integration" means the integration of health services with health-related or social care services.