§ 18. Mr. DarlingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the hospitals in respect of which he has received an expression of interest in opting out or establishing a national health service trust.
§ Mr. ForsythThree hospital units have applied for NHS trust status—South Ayrshire, the Royal Scottish national hospital and the Foresterhill hospitals group. In addition, formal expressions of interest have been received from the Victoria infirmary, Glasgow, the West Grampian hospitals unit, the Princess Margaret Rose hospital in Edinburgh, and Lothian college of nursing and midwifery.
§ Mr. DarlingCan the Minister justify the payment of more than £234,000 of public money to accountants, bureaucrats and consultants to prepare opting-out submissions when that money can be better used to reduce waiting lists or to make a donation to the appeal for the Royal hospital for sick children in Edinburgh instead of being used to propagate Tory party propaganda which is not wanted by the people of Scotland and which would damage the health service in Scotland? What possible justification can the Minister have for that other than his trying to pursue a policy which is completely discredited north and south of the border?
§ Mr. ForsythThe moneys provided for the preparation of NHS trust proposals are in addition to the moneys provided for patient care. If the hon. Gentleman were interested in patient care, instead of opposing NHS trust proposals in principle, he would look at the merits of the proposals and decide whether they should go ahead on the basis of the interests of patient care—and that is precisely what my right hon. Friend will do. If the hon. Gentleman cares to consider examples from south of the border, he will see that trusts there are cutting waiting lists, employing more doctors, treating more patients and providing a wider range of services at times convenient to patients. It is sheer dogma by the Labour party to reject them out of hand without even considering individual applications.
§ Mr. Gerald HowarthMay I endorse most vigorously what my hon. Friend has just said about the benefits of NHS trusts operating within the health service. There are two trusts in my constituency that offer improved patient care and have taken on more staff. Is it not time that Scotland was able to enjoy the benefits of improved patient care that NHS trusts offer patients in England and Wales?
§ Mr. ForsythMy hon. Friend is right. I hope everyone in Scotland understands the position of all the Opposition parties. Even if an NHS trust can be demonstrated to be 1077 in the interests of patients to reduce waiting lists and provide a better quality of service, they would reject it because they put politics before patients.