{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2019-06-26&answer.answeringMemberConstituency=Wimbledon", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?date=2019-06-26&answer.answeringMemberConstituency=Wimbledon", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2019-06-26&answer.answeringMemberConstituency=Wimbledon&_metadata=all", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2019-06-26&_page=0&answer.answeringMemberConstituency=Wimbledon", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2019-06-26&answer.answeringMemberConstituency=Wimbledon", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2019-06-26&answer.answeringMemberConstituency=Wimbledon", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134823", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134823/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

The interim People Plan was published on 3 June 2019. It sets out the actions the National Health Service will take now and over the long term to meet the challenges of supply, reform, culture and leadership.<\/p>

A final People Plan will be published soon after the conclusion of the 2019 as intended Spending Review.<\/p>

This final Plan will then be kept under regular review and updated on an annual basis, as part of the NHS taking a more open and collaborative approach to people issues.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1585", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Hammond"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wimbledon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Hammond"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-05T09:32:54.837Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "NHS: Staff"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the final NHS people plan will be published.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4056", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nic Dakin"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Scunthorpe"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Nic Dakin"} ], "uin" : "269718"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134879", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134879/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

The Department does not hold this information.<\/p>

National guidance is clear that immediately necessary or urgent care should never be withheld or delayed for reasons to do with eligibility or payment. Whether care is urgent is a decision only a clinician can make and on a case-by-case basis, informed by national guidance.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1585", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Hammond"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wimbledon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Hammond"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-01T15:42:38.583Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Health Services: Undocumented Migrants"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of undocumented immigrants who have died after they were denied care because they were unable to pay the costs upfront.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry South"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Jim Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "269628"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134881", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134881/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

The Medical Training Initiative enables up to 1,000 international medical and dental graduates per year to enter the United Kingdom to experience training and development in the National Health Service for up to two years before returning to their home country. The Government keeps the number of doctors able to participate in this scheme under regular review.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1585", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Hammond"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wimbledon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Hammond"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-04T14:16:56.833Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Doctors: Migrant Workers"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the recruitment of doctors from overseas through the Medical Training Initiative.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4598", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mohammad Yasin"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bedford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mohammad Yasin"} ], "uin" : "269778"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134882", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134882/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

The Government has already committed to funding for universities to offer an extra 1,500 undergraduate medical school places for domestic students. The first 630 places were taken up in September 2018 and the remaining additional places will have been made available by universities by 2020/21. By 2020, five new medical schools will have opened in England to help deliver the expansion.<\/p>

The NHS Long Term Plan set out the need to ensure a sustainable overall balance between supply and demand across all staff groups. For doctors, it also focussed on reducing geographical and specialty imbalances. Subsequently, the interim NHS People Plan set out the action we will take now and over the long term to meet the challenges of supply, reform, culture and leadership, and changes in demand for health care. Actions include reviewing what further expansion in undergraduate medical places will be needed, in light of future plans made locally by sustainability and transformation partnerships and integrated care systems; and the establishment of a national programme board to address geographic and specialty shortages in doctors.<\/p>

<\/strong><\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1585", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Hammond"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wimbledon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Hammond"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "269780"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-04T14:08:26.2Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "NHS: Staff"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the speciality staff workforce in the NHS (a) throughout the UK and (b) in regions with high vacancy rates.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4598", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mohammad Yasin"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bedford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mohammad Yasin"} ], "uin" : "269779"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134883", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134883/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

The Government has already committed to funding for universities to offer an extra 1,500 undergraduate medical school places for domestic students. The first 630 places were taken up in September 2018 and the remaining additional places will have been made available by universities by 2020/21. By 2020, five new medical schools will have opened in England to help deliver the expansion.<\/p>

The NHS Long Term Plan set out the need to ensure a sustainable overall balance between supply and demand across all staff groups. For doctors, it also focussed on reducing geographical and specialty imbalances. Subsequently, the interim NHS People Plan set out the action we will take now and over the long term to meet the challenges of supply, reform, culture and leadership, and changes in demand for health care. Actions include reviewing what further expansion in undergraduate medical places will be needed, in light of future plans made locally by sustainability and transformation partnerships and integrated care systems; and the establishment of a national programme board to address geographic and specialty shortages in doctors.<\/p>

<\/strong><\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1585", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Hammond"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wimbledon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Hammond"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "269779"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-04T14:08:26.263Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Medicine: Education"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase the number of medical school places to help create a sustainable workforce.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4598", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mohammad Yasin"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bedford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mohammad Yasin"} ], "uin" : "269780"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134884", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134884/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

The board of NHS England conducts as much of its business as possible in a session that members of the public are welcome to attend and observe. It remains NHS England\u2019s policy to publish private board meeting papers and papers up until May 2018 are now available on the NHS England website at the following link:<\/p>

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/board/meetings/previous/private-papers/<\/a><\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1585", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Hammond"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wimbledon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Hammond"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-01T16:11:28.37Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "NHS England: Publications"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England Private Board meeting papers, whether it remains NHS England\u2019s policy to publish the agenda and papers from NHS England Private Board meetings one year after the meeting; and for what reasons NHS England have not published any Private Board papers since March 2015.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4244", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jonathan Ashworth"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leicester South"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jonathan Ashworth"} ], "uin" : "269740"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134888", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134888/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

Adult non-secure inpatient services for people with learning disabilities and/or autism in Newcastle-Under-Lyme are commissioned by the Newcastle-Under-Lyme Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Local CCGs should ensure that patients with a learning disability and/or autism have access to an inpatient bed when they need it.<\/p>

Adult secure inpatient services and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Tier 4 inpatient beds for children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism in Newcastle-Under-Lyme are commissioned by the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Team in the West Midlands, which will always look at prioritising meeting clinical needs as locally as possible.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1585", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Hammond"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wimbledon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Hammond"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-01T15:12:00.333Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism and Learning Disability: Newcastle-under-Lyme"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that constituents with learning disabilities or autism, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, are able to access inpatient facilities close to home.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1436", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Farrelly"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle-under-Lyme"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Farrelly"} ], "uin" : "269659"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134899", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134899/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

Sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) and integrated care systems (ICS) are fundamentally about bringing National Health Service providers, commissioners, local authorities, and other health and care services together to propose how they, at local level, can improve the way that health and care is planned and delivered in a more person-centred and coordinated way.<\/p>

The most developed STPs have evolved into ICS, an even closer partnership between NHS organisations, local councils and other relevant organisations, which take collective responsibility for managing resources, delivering NHS standards, and improving the health of the population they serve.<\/p>

The NHS Long Term Plan set out the ambition for ICS to cover the whole of England by April 2021. The NHS Long Term Plan sets out that \u201cevery ICS will need streamlined commissioning arrangements to enable a single set of commissioning decisions at system level. This will typically involve a single Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for each ICS area\u201d. However, this will need to reflect local circumstances, and NHS England is not intending to impose this centrally. NHS England is working with ICS and local areas to determine the best configuration of CCGs.<\/p>

CCGs have a legal right to apply for a merger and it is for NHS England to decide whether to approve a merger. This is an operational decision, and so sits with NHS England. There are a number of specific legal factors and further criteria that NHS England will consider when deciding whether to agree the merger. The application process and criteria applied for CCG mergers is available in the Procedures for clinical commissioning groups to apply for constitution change, merger or dissolution guidance.<\/p>

The criteria include the proposed new CCG demonstrating alignment with (or within) the local STP/ICS to provide the most logical footprint for local implementation of the NHS Long Term Plan. CCGs must also include evidence of providing strategic, integrated commissioning to support population health; whilst ensuring that the move to a larger geographical footprint will not be at the expense of local accountability, or the proposed new CCG\u2019s ability to engage with, and consider the needs of, local communities. Before a merger takes place, the CCG must also demonstrate that they have engaged with and seriously considered the views of their local general practitioners and local Healthwatch. In all cases, CCGs\u2019 legal accountability to NHS England remains the same, regardless of the size of the CCG.<\/p>

More broadly, we support NHS England\u2019s intention to streamline commissioning arrangements, as NHS England expect that this will make it easier for the NHS to manage resources, make strategic decisions, and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy.<\/p>

<\/p>

<\/strong><\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1585", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Hammond"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wimbledon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Hammond"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "269782"} , {"_value" : "269783"} , {"_value" : "269784"} , {"_value" : "269785"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-05T13:24:50.283Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Clinical Commissioning Groups"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS long-term plan, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on healthcare delivery of reducing the number of clinical commissioning groups to match the number of sustainability and transformation partnerships.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4620", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ellie Reeves"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewisham West and Penge"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ellie Reeves"} ], "uin" : "269781"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134900", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134900/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

Sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) and integrated care systems (ICS) are fundamentally about bringing National Health Service providers, commissioners, local authorities, and other health and care services together to propose how they, at local level, can improve the way that health and care is planned and delivered in a more person-centred and coordinated way.<\/p>

The most developed STPs have evolved into ICS, an even closer partnership between NHS organisations, local councils and other relevant organisations, which take collective responsibility for managing resources, delivering NHS standards, and improving the health of the population they serve.<\/p>

The NHS Long Term Plan set out the ambition for ICS to cover the whole of England by April 2021. The NHS Long Term Plan sets out that \u201cevery ICS will need streamlined commissioning arrangements to enable a single set of commissioning decisions at system level. This will typically involve a single Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for each ICS area\u201d. However, this will need to reflect local circumstances, and NHS England is not intending to impose this centrally. NHS England is working with ICS and local areas to determine the best configuration of CCGs.<\/p>

CCGs have a legal right to apply for a merger and it is for NHS England to decide whether to approve a merger. This is an operational decision, and so sits with NHS England. There are a number of specific legal factors and further criteria that NHS England will consider when deciding whether to agree the merger. The application process and criteria applied for CCG mergers is available in the Procedures for clinical commissioning groups to apply for constitution change, merger or dissolution guidance.<\/p>

The criteria include the proposed new CCG demonstrating alignment with (or within) the local STP/ICS to provide the most logical footprint for local implementation of the NHS Long Term Plan. CCGs must also include evidence of providing strategic, integrated commissioning to support population health; whilst ensuring that the move to a larger geographical footprint will not be at the expense of local accountability, or the proposed new CCG\u2019s ability to engage with, and consider the needs of, local communities. Before a merger takes place, the CCG must also demonstrate that they have engaged with and seriously considered the views of their local general practitioners and local Healthwatch. In all cases, CCGs\u2019 legal accountability to NHS England remains the same, regardless of the size of the CCG.<\/p>

More broadly, we support NHS England\u2019s intention to streamline commissioning arrangements, as NHS England expect that this will make it easier for the NHS to manage resources, make strategic decisions, and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy.<\/p>

<\/p>

<\/strong><\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1585", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Hammond"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wimbledon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Hammond"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "269781"} , {"_value" : "269783"} , {"_value" : "269784"} , {"_value" : "269785"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-05T13:24:50.33Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Clinical Commissioning Groups"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS long-term plan, what assessment he has made of the potential (a) merits and (b) demerits of reducing the number of clinical commissioning groups to match the number of sustainability and transformation partnerships.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4620", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ellie Reeves"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewisham West and Penge"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ellie Reeves"} ], "uin" : "269782"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134901", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134901/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

Sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) and integrated care systems (ICS) are fundamentally about bringing National Health Service providers, commissioners, local authorities, and other health and care services together to propose how they, at local level, can improve the way that health and care is planned and delivered in a more person-centred and coordinated way.<\/p>

The most developed STPs have evolved into ICS, an even closer partnership between NHS organisations, local councils and other relevant organisations, which take collective responsibility for managing resources, delivering NHS standards, and improving the health of the population they serve.<\/p>

The NHS Long Term Plan set out the ambition for ICS to cover the whole of England by April 2021. The NHS Long Term Plan sets out that \u201cevery ICS will need streamlined commissioning arrangements to enable a single set of commissioning decisions at system level. This will typically involve a single Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for each ICS area\u201d. However, this will need to reflect local circumstances, and NHS England is not intending to impose this centrally. NHS England is working with ICS and local areas to determine the best configuration of CCGs.<\/p>

CCGs have a legal right to apply for a merger and it is for NHS England to decide whether to approve a merger. This is an operational decision, and so sits with NHS England. There are a number of specific legal factors and further criteria that NHS England will consider when deciding whether to agree the merger. The application process and criteria applied for CCG mergers is available in the Procedures for clinical commissioning groups to apply for constitution change, merger or dissolution guidance.<\/p>

The criteria include the proposed new CCG demonstrating alignment with (or within) the local STP/ICS to provide the most logical footprint for local implementation of the NHS Long Term Plan. CCGs must also include evidence of providing strategic, integrated commissioning to support population health; whilst ensuring that the move to a larger geographical footprint will not be at the expense of local accountability, or the proposed new CCG\u2019s ability to engage with, and consider the needs of, local communities. Before a merger takes place, the CCG must also demonstrate that they have engaged with and seriously considered the views of their local general practitioners and local Healthwatch. In all cases, CCGs\u2019 legal accountability to NHS England remains the same, regardless of the size of the CCG.<\/p>

More broadly, we support NHS England\u2019s intention to streamline commissioning arrangements, as NHS England expect that this will make it easier for the NHS to manage resources, make strategic decisions, and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy.<\/p>

<\/p>

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