§ Mr. Thurnhamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his objectives on the provision of hospital services; how he is monitoring their effectiveness; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitneyOur policies for the hospital services remain as set out in "Care in Action" as amplified and extended by the annual planning guidelines issued to health authorities, including specific targets for priority service developments. We are also concerned to secure equality of access to services and to improve the efficiency with which resources are used, through better management. We monitor the effectiveness of services in a range of ways, including regular reports on aspects of performance, statistical returns of activity levels and annual reviews with regional health authorities.