Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidelines his Department issues to hospitals and clinical commissioning groups on criteria for hip and knee replacements.

The Department does not issue guidance to hospitals or clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) on the criteria for access to particular clinical services. NHS England provides guidance to CCGs which are primarily responsible for commissioning services to meet the requirements of their population. In doing so, CCGs need to ensure that the services they provide are fit for purpose, reflect the needs of the local population, and are based on the available evidence. CCGs should take national guidelines into account as they take commissioning decisions.

It is the role of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England (alongside other arm’s length bodies) to issue guidance to CCGs, based on the latest evidence and expertise.