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 decision taken by Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group to place restrictions on routine surgery for patients who smoke or are clinically obese.

Each individual Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is accountable for commissioning the care that will provide the best possible outcomes for their patients in line with their legal duties and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance. As such, it is the responsibility of Vale of York CCG to make an assessment of what impact on patients its decisions will have.

Vale of York CCG has made clear that every patient’s case will be considered in the light of their own particular circumstances and on the basis of clinical need.