§ 2.49 p.m.
§ Lord EnnalsMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money is lost to the National Health Service annually by the failure of health authorities to collect the appropriate fees from private patients.
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, the extent of those losses cannot be reliably estimated. The Government are determined that all necessary steps shall be taken to ensure that the National Health Service receives income to which it is entitled.
§ Lord EnnalsMy Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that that is an encouraging response? May I further ask whether she accepts the recent strictures by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir Gordon Downey, on the failure of health authorities to collect the fees of private patients and the recent study which suggested that the loss amounts to about £60 million a year? Does the Minister accept that the responsibility for the collection of these private patients' fees lies with the health authorities? Is it not really appalling that when the Health Service is so desperately in need of funds there is money that is simply not being collected?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General relies heavily on the evidence produced by the department's own auditors, and the Government accept those criticisms. With regard to the noble Lord's other point about the extent of the national loss, it is impossible to say what it is, but the figure of £60 million which has been bandied about in another place is quite baseless.
§ Lord Harmar-NichollsMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that many people would be interested in the other side of this particular coin? How much money does the National Health Service receive from private health fees that are paid?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, I am unable to answer that question from my noble friend, but I should be glad to let him know.
§ Lord EnnalsMy Lords, does the noble Baroness recognise that it is not just a question of information that may be given in another place? I have had detailed correspondence with the British Medical Association who are themselves very much concerned about this. Will the noble Baroness say why she is not concerned about it?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, I never said that I was not concerned about it. That is a total misuse of my words. I said that on the figures from the audit it was impossible to state the extent of the national loss.