Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Clinical Commissioning Groups have a robust process of debate and challenge in relation to commissioning decisions.
No such formal assessment has taken place, however clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have a duty to involve their patients, carers and the public in decisions about the services they commission. General practitioners (GPs) know the needs of their local population best, all GP practices have to be a member of a CCG and CCGs have an obligation to reflect their members’ concerns.
CCGs are independent statutory organisations and thus are, in principle, self-governing, however they are accountable to NHS England and it has the power to intervene where it believes a CCG is not carrying out its duties.