Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's decision of 28 March 2018 not fund a new Hospital at Halton though sustainability and transformation partnership capital funding on the provision of health services in Halton and Warrington NHS Trust area.

Following assessment by the Department, NHS England and NHS Improvement, the Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was not one of the successful bids for sustainability and transformation partnership (STP) capital funding announced on 28 March.

NHS England and NHS Improvement will be providing written feedback to the Trust and there will be a further opportunity later in the year to submit new or revised bids.

It is for the local STP (Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership) and the Trust, to set out in their proposals how they can drive health and service improvements in relation to the current services in making their case, demonstrate value for money, affordability and fit with the STP’s wider estates strategy.