Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 22 October 2013, to Question 171517, for what reasons NHS England's review into stereotactic radiosurgery was not completed by the end of 2013; and when NHS England will complete this review.

NHS England released ‘Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Radiotherapy Services – needs assessment and service review’ on 3 November. NHS England is now consulting on this document until 26 January 2015, after which it will publish a report outlining the key themes of the consultation findings on its website.

NHS England advises us that the review took more time than originally planned to ensure that the options being consulted on were as comprehensive as possible. This included further testing of a number of issues including the appropriate level of throughput activity in each centre.