With a current annual budget of £115bn and a workforce of over a million, the NHS accounts for the largest single public expenditure budget in England and the country’s largest workforce.

The annual NHS planning process fulfils a number of functions. It sets priorities across a number of competing objectives, allocating resource appropriately between them. It sets performance and financial targets for the whole service and for the provider and commissioner sectors.

The annual planning round is central to ensuring the service provides the best possible quality of patient care, makes best use of its resources, and is properly held to account. Given the current system-wide pressures and the imminent long-term plan, the planning round for 2019/20 will be key for the NHS.

Our new briefing examines what NHS trusts need from the 2019/20 planning process.