Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the training and support currently delivered to GPs to ensure that they make patients aware of their choices when selecting a provider for consultant-led treatment.

The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups Responsibilities and Standing Rules Regulations 2012 state that integrated care boards and NHS England, in exercising its commissioning functions, have a duty to ensure that the awareness and availability of choice is publicised to referrers and patients. NHS England has regulatory oversight and operational implementation of patient choice and provides advice and guidance to the public, patients, referrers, commissioners and providers on the choices available in England and how patient choice can be facilitated.