<p><strong></strong>We have no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of asking primary care services to operate step-down facilities to help increase the rate of hospital discharge.</p><p>Working with local authorities and voluntary and community partners, NHS England has begun to develop and pilot a new approach to intermediate care. Initial learning emerging from the pilot sites will be available by April 2023, and this will support more widespread adoption and implementation during 2023/24. By autumn 2023, NHS England will develop a new planning framework and national standard for rapid discharge into intermediate care, building on the learning from the pilot sites.</p>