Section 25E. Any person or agency filing an application for determination of need or empowered to request a public hearing under the provisions of section twenty-five C, and aggrieved by the determination thereof may, within fourteen days after such determination, file an appeal to the health facilities appeals board established by section one hundred and sixty-six of chapter six. The appellant shall include with any such appeal a certificate stating that said appeal is not knowingly interposed for delay.

The board in considering any such appeal shall restrict itself to a review of materials on file with the department and to consideration of whether the determination appealed from was an abuse of discretion, without observance of procedure required by law or in violation of applicable provisions of law. In the event the board determines that the materials available to it are inadequate to allow the required consideration, it may order a hearing on the appeal. Such appeal shall be heard by the board or its designated hearing officer within thirty days after its filing. If the matter is heard by a hearing officer, such officer, within thirty days after hearing, shall submit a recommended decision, reasons therefor and a determination of each issue of fact or law incident to said recommended decision to the board. The board shall, within sixty days after filing of the appeal, issue a final decision, either denying the appeal, in which case said decision shall be subject to judicial review under the provisions of section fourteen of chapter thirty A to the extent they are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section, or order the matter remanded to the department for action consistent with the opinion of the board. All proceedings of the board shall be subject to the provisions of chapter thirty A to the extent they are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section. Failure of the board to issue a final decision within one hundred and twenty days after filing of the appeal shall constitute a final decision affirming the action of the department and denying the appeal.