§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make it his policy to set up a fund to help meet the additional travel expenses of relatives of patients who have been referred to treatment centres outside their own health authority; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GristIt will be for the patients concerned to assess the relative benefits of earlier treatment at the centres, including the possibility of additional travel for themselves and their relatives, compared with waiting for treatment more locally. As with any other hospital services, visitors on low incomes can apply for help with their travelling expenses to and from the centres from the Department of Social Security. We do not propose to introduce any additional assistance for the relatives of patients in treatment centres.
§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact on general practitioners' clinical responsibility of the decision to exclude general practitioners from referring their patients directly to treatment centres.
§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet representatives of general practitioners regarding his decision not to allow general practitioners to refer patients directly to treatment centres; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GristMy right hon. Friend has received no requests to meet representatives of general practitioners to discuss treatment centres. The centres will not impinge on general practitioners' clinical responsibility. GPs will continue to refer new patients direct to hospitals of their choice, which will in turn continue to treat the majority of patients. Treatment centres are an additional resource to offer patients already waiting the choice of earlier treatment.
This principle would be undermined if general practitioners were to refer new patients to treatment centres direct since the centres would then be likely to build up their own waiting lists. However, the operational policies of the ophthalmology and general surgery centres provide for re-referrals by general practitioners of patients who have been waiting on inpatient lists for more than four months. The policy of the orthopaedic centre in this respect will be kept under review.
§ Mr. Geraint HowellsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many health authorities have agreed contracts with private companies for the provision of health services to National Health Service patients in Wales; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what extra cash he will allocate to each of the Welsh health authorities to maintain current levels of services; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GristI would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) on 11 January at columns 725–27, when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the revenue and capital allocations to health authorities in Wales for 1990–91.
284WI would also refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North on 12 February at columns 12–13 in which my right hon. Friend announced the distribution of almost £10 million which had been reserved for schemes to be centrally funded under the programme for the valleys initiative.
Further announcements will be made in due course about the distribution of other sums reserved for centrally directed developments in 1990–91.
Finally, I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough and Horncastle (Mr. Leigh) on 1 February at columns 260–62, when my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that further revenue provision would be made available to health authorities in 1990–91 (over and above the sum announced on 11 January) in respect of pay awards to staff covered by the review bodies arrangement. The distribution of this additional provision will depend upon staff in post and will be notified to authorities as soon as possible.