Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to ensure equal patient access to dialysis treatment throughout the UK when the provision for dialysis treatment is transferred to clinical commissioning groups.

Ministers are responsible for deciding which specialised services should be commissioned by NHS England. Ministers obtain advice to inform these decisions from the Prescribed Specialised Services Advisory Group (PSSAG), a Department of Health expert committee.

PSSAG considered a proposal from NHS England to transfer commissioning responsibility for renal dialysis services from NHS England to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). PSSAG advised Ministers, that on the evidence presented to it, renal dialysis services were suitable for commissioning by CCGs and did not meet the requirements for national commissioning by NHS England.

However, the proposal has since been referred back to PSSAG for reconsideration after the Department became aware that PSSAG was provided with incorrect evidence when it first considered the proposals.

No further decision on the transfer of commissioning responsibility for renal dialysis services can be made until PSSAG has reconsidered the proposal and provided Ministers with its updated advice. Commissioning responsibility for these services will therefore remain with NHS England at least until 1 April 2016.