Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many referrals have been received by his Department under sub-section 244 of the National Health Service Act 2006 since the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 by (a) local authority and (b) clinical commissioning group where such a request has been passed to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel; and what the outcome was of any decision.

Since the commencement of the Health and Social Care Act in 2012, the Department has received 23 referrals from local authorities and none from clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). CCGs are the bodies that propose service change and do not have the power to refer such changes to the Secretary of State.

Findings and final advice on each of the 23 cases are set out in detail on the Independent Reconfiguration Panel’s website.