Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he was first told that NHS England proposed to close the congenital heart disease units operating in (a) Manchester, (b) Leicester and (c) at the Royal Brompton Hospital.

No decision has been made to close the congenital heart disease units at Central Manchester, Leicester and at the Royal Brompton Hospital. NHS England will make a decision on its proposals for changes to adult and children’s congenital heart services in England following a consultation announced today. 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. Ministers have been briefed regularly on the decision-making process and associated timings throughout the process.