Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what powers he has to intervene in clinical commissioning groups in the event that there are concerns about commissioning policies.
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are independent organisations responsible for their own commissioning decisions. NHS England is accountable for ensuring that CCGs commission services that are high quality, and deliver value for money; this is assessed through mechanisms such as the CCG Improvement and Assessment Framework. Where performance concerns are identified, NHS England has the ability to exercise formal powers to either provide enhanced support to a CCG, or to issue legal directions where it believes that a CCG is failing or is at risk of failing to discharge its functions.
The Department holds NHS England to account for improving the performance of CCGs. This is done through mechanisms such as the Mandate to NHS England.