Major reconfiguration could be referred to Hancock

Full story in the HSJ, 18 September 2018

A major reconfiguration of services faces referral to the health and social care secretary by a local council, putting £118m of transformation funding at risk.

Southend Council will decide next month if it will refer the Mid and South Essex sustainability and transformation partnership’s reconfiguration plans to Matt Hancock, it has emerged.

The move means the £118m of central funding allocated for the STP, which has set out plans to reconfigure services across three acute trusts due to merge in April, is on hold until the matter is resolved.