§ 4. Mr. Soleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied that regional health authorities consult fully with the trade unions concerned before making firm proposals for the creation of new district health authorities.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinYes, Sir.
§ Mr. SoleyDoes the Secretary of State accept that there is genuine concern in the trade unions about the implications for employment of the new district health authorities? Will he guarantee that the trade unions will be fully involved in the discussions leading to their establishment?
§ Mr. JenkinThe trade unions were among the bodies consulted by the regions on the proposed new structure of district health authorities. I am fully satisfied about that. Of course the unions will be consulted again about the drawing up of orders transferring employment from the existing authorities to the new district health authorities. I make that absolutely clear.
§ Mr. AdleyIs my hon. Friend aware that the deafness of the Wessex regional health authority to the consultation process has been answered by the patience, understanding and common sense of the Minister for Health with his intervention concerning the Grove? Will my right hon. Friend take this opportunity to join me and every body locally, including general practitioners, in thanking the Minister for what has happened? Will he ensure that the new district health authorities referred to in the question are more responsive to local opinion on medical matters than was the case in that instance?
§ Mr. JenkinI am glowing in the blushes of the Minister for Health. I thank my hon. Friend for his tribute to him. One of the central purposes of the reorganisation in which we are currently engaged is to have smaller, more local, authorities which will be more responsive to local opinion about local health services. That primarily is what we are out to achieve. I hope that my hon. Friend believes that we are setting about it in the right way.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyAs we have had the enunciation of a new theory this afternoon, namely, that in future patients will be charged in relation to cost, irrespective of whether they need expensive drugs, will the Secretary of State follow that theory all the way along the line? Will he provide the amount needed for reorganisation in line with inflation? The unions would be happy to learn that their wages are to be increased in exactly the same way.
§ Mr. JenkinI assure the hon. Lady that this Government have no intention of following the example of their predecessors, who preferred to cut capital spending by two-thirds rather than put up prescription charges. We have done the opposite.