a new call-in power allows the Secretary of State to intervene in NHS service reconfigurations at any stage where a proposal exists and take or re-take any decision that previously could have been taken by the NHS commissioning body
call-in requests can be submitted to the Secretary of State – the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) expects these only to be used in exceptional situations where local resolution has not been reached
NHS commissioning bodies have a duty to notify the Secretary of State of notifiable reconfigurations – this duty does not apply to reconfiguration proposals where before 31 January 2024 a consultation has commenced with the local authority in accordance with regulation 23(1)(a) of the 2013 regulations
local authorities are no longer be able to make new referrals to the Secretary of State under the 2013 regulations
