Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2015 to Question 224941, on which occasions the (a) Clinical Priorities Advisory Group has rejected a recommendation made by a clinical reference group and (b) Directly Commissioned Services Committee has rejected a recommendation made by the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group; what estimate NHS England has made of the average length of time between a clinical reference group making a recommendation and a final decision being made by the Directly Commissioned Services Committee; and if he will make a statement.

The Directly Commissioned Services Committee has been disbanded as a governance committee within NHS England. The Specialised Services Oversight Group (SCOG) now makes the final decisions regarding Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) recommendations. The average time between the Clinical Reference Group recommendation being made at CPAG and SCOG making a decision is two weeks.

Final decisions on commissioning policies are often subject to discussion between the Clinical Reference Group and CPAG. Recommendations from Clinical Reference Groups may be modified and re-proposed before a final decision.