Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect on patients of the number of clinical commissioning groups that have introduced a threshold in access to hip and knee replacements in (a) West Yorkshire, (b) Yorkshire and (c) the UK.

NHS England has not made an assessment of the effect on patients of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) introducing thresholds in access to hip and knee replacements in West Yorkshire, Yorkshire or the United Kingdom.

CCGs have a statutory responsibility to commission services which meet the needs of their local population. When developing their associated commissioning policies and treatment criteria, we would expect CCGs to take into account any relevant current guidance, and consider the wider context of their actions which may include the costs incurred as a result of setting criteria which may deny or delay treatment for patients requiring surgery. Treatment decisions should always be made by doctors based on patients’ clinical needs.