§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any element of quality of care or accessibility of services will be built into a contract between a hospital trust and a district health authority or general practitioner's practice.
§ Mr. Mellor"Self-Governing Hospitals: an Initial Guide" sets out the minimum contents of contracts and makes it clear that they will specify the measures of quality, relating to both the process and outcome of treatment that will be applied. District health authorities and general practitioners will be expected to use contracts to ensure that patients get the best quality of services available and that where necessary standards are raised. Among measures of accessibility waiting times in particular will be an important aspect or quality.