Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost of the proposed closure of congenital heart disease services at Royal Brompton Hospital; and what the cost would be of (a) expanding provision elsewhere and (b) transferring staff and services as a result of that proposed closure.

No decision has been made to close the congenital heart disease service at the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. NHS England will make a decision on its proposals for changes to adult and children’s congenital heart services in England following a consultation. It has worked, and will continue to work, with providers and other stakeholders to assess the impact of these proposals. NHS England intends to publish an impact assessment and other relevant information in due course.