§ Ms. PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria he proposes to lay down for regional health authorities to decide whether(a) blood transfusion and (b) ambulance services should be contracted out to the private sector.
§ Mr. Freeman[holding answer 14 February 1989]: We have no plans to contract out the blood transfusion service. With regard to the ambulance service, we published a scrutiny report on the non-emergency sector of the ambulance service in April 1984 when we said that it was open to district health authorities to buy-in part of the ambulance service from the private sector if that is more cost effective and provided the quality of service was maintained. Many NHS ambulance authorities already use private contractors, the hospital car service and voluntary aid societies to transport appropriate NHS patients. This has been the case for many years and helps to ensure that skilled ambulance crews and specialist vehicles are used for those who need the special care and attention which they can provide.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement about the future of the blood transfusion service under the proposals in the Government's White Paper on the National Health Service.
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§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[holding answer 14 February 1989]: The blood transfusion service will continue to be an integral part of the National Health Service. Its organisation at national and supra-regional level will remain essentially as now, save that operational responsibility will rest with the NHS management executive in succession to the NHS management board. Services below this level are mostly organised on a region-wide basis. Regional health authorities will be asked, in line with paragraph 2.8 of the White Paper, to review these services and to ensure that they are in future managed in the most cost-effective manner and consistent with the wider management changes that are being introduced in the National Health Service.