Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that Clinical Commissioning Groups do not impose restrictions on access to hip and knee surgery based on a patient's level of pain.

NHS England provides guidance to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) which are primarily responsible for commissioning services to meet the requirements of their population. In doing so, CCGs need to ensure that the services they provide are fit for purpose, reflect the needs of the local population, and are based on the available evidence.

CCGs should take national guidelines into account as they take commissioning decisions.

It is the role of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England, (alongside other arm’s length bodies) to issue guidance to CCGs, based on the latest evidence and expertise.