HC Deb 23 February 1989 vol 147 c791W
Mr. Anthony Coombs

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department is monitoring the growth of the private sector in relation to National Health Service facilities in the field of elderly care.

Mr. Mellor

It is for the individual health authorities to decide what level of service to provide for the elderly people in the populations they serve. The Government give guidance on the range of services which should be available to elderly people; but health authorities may take into account the level of private sector health care in determining the level of services that they will provide themselves.

The Government welcome the growth in the private health care sector, because it adds to the total resources available, offers greater choice to the patient and provides flexibility to health authorities in service delivery.