Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons the Shaping the healthier future bid, Strategic Outline Case 1 from London North West University Healthcare Trust was rejected; and if will publish the papers presented as part of that bid.

The Shaping a Healthier Future (SaHF) bid proposed the reconfiguration of acute hospitals across outer north west London, together with investment in out of hospital hubs and primary care. The programme would have included moving services between acute providers to downgrade Ealing and Charing Cross Hospitals from major to local hospitals with a reduction in their accident and emergency (A&E) facilities. This will not now take place.

The Department has made it clear to NHS England and NHS Improvement that service change must be strongly aligned with the content of the NHS Long Term Plan, and this was a central element of the decision to withdraw support from aspects of Shaping a Healthier Future.

Local commissioners agreed to draw the SaHF programme to a conclusion, and NHS England and NHS Improvement are continuing to work with the local National Health Service to develop service plans to improve health and care, in particular continuing to develop community services in line with the NHS Long Term Plan.

The basis of the decision to withdraw support was made clear in my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s announcement on 26 March.