Access to the Sustainability and Transformation Fund is dependent on trusts achieving certain finance and performance related criteria. If successful a trust will receive a payment that will have a direct benefit to their bottom line financial position. This funding must not be used for any other purpose.

Whatever the financial position in a trust, continued delivery of affordable, safe and quality health services is paramount. To ensure this happens, regulators will intervene to provide the necessary support and challenge to bring the organisation back to a stable position as soon as possible. Where necessary, interim financing (cash support) may be provided to those trusts to help pay the bills.

In December 2016 NHS England announced that a £200 million fund will be available to Cancer Alliances and the national cancer vanguard over the next two years to specifically support the areas the Cancer Taskforce’s strategy estimated would need additional investment, including supporting earlier diagnosis and the full roll out of the Recovery Package.

NHS England received bids from all alliances on 18 January 2017. The bids have been assessed by a national panel on the basis of a pre-determined set of criteria, reflecting the value they offer and the panel’s confidence of delivery. The appraisal criteria is available at:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/stps/tf-call-to-bid/