§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria were used in selecting the audiences of National Health Service staff addressed by him following the launch of "Working for Patients".
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThose invited were people who would be closely connected with the implementation of the review, such as health authority and FPC chairmen and senior managers and professional staff and those who needed to be informed at first hand about the contents of the White Paper and to be able to question Ministers about its proposals.
§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health which district medical officers were invited to the roadshow launch in the west midlands of "Working for Patients".
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe district medical officers invited were:
- Dr. M. C. T. Wilkes, Kidderminster HA
- Dr. H. V. Duggal, Mid-Staffordshire HA
- Dr. M. E. Summerly, North Staffordshire HA
- Dr. J. S. Dodge, Rugby HA
- Dr. R. K. Griffiths, C Birmingham HA
- Dr. M. J. Carpenter, E Birmingham HA
- Dr. S. Gyde, N Birmingham HA
421 - Dr. G. T. Pollock, Coventry HA
- Dr. J. Middleton, Sandwell HA
- Dr. G. M. Singal, Walsall HA
§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if any instructions, verbal or written, were given to managers or other National Health Service staff about their comments to the press or media following the launch of "Working for Patients".
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIt is the responsibility of individual health authorities to determine policy on how their staff should deal with questions from the press and media, including questions on "Working for Patients".
§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the names of the press/public relations company responsible for the launch of the White Paper "Working for Patients"; if a process of competitive tendering was used before choosing the company; and if the press department at his Department was considered for the task.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNML Presentations Ltd. was contracted by the Department to provide organisational, production and design services in connection with the NHS review launch communication programme. It was chosen from a number of companies which were asked to compete for the job. My Department's information division supervised and monitored the contract.