Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will conduct a quality review of health services in County Durham.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England and has a key responsibility in the overall assurance of safety and quality of health and adult social care services.

Under section 48 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 the Secretary of State can request the CQC to conduct special reviews or investigations into the provision of National Health Service care, adult social services or the exercise of functions by English health authorities. However, there are currently no plans to request a review of the health services in County Durham.