§ Mr. WinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he intends to give approval to any application for self-governing status where the amount of medical support in the hospital concerned is minimal;
(2) if he will state the level of support shown by the medical and nursing profession in a hospital which is the subject of an application for self-governing status before he will give his approval to the proposal.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyIn assessing applications for NHS trust status, my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State will be looking at a number of matters, including evidence that senior clinicians and other professional staff are involved in the management of the unit. The issues involved are complex and cannot be reduced to simple propositions.
§ Mr. WinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out the criteria by which he will decide applications for hospitals to become self-governing.
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§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe key criteria which my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State will use in assessing National Health Service trust applications are as follows:
- (i) tangible benefits to patients and improvements in the quality of the services it offers;
- (ii) strong leadership and effective management;
- (iii) involvement of senior professional staff, including clinicians, in management; and
- (iv) financial viability.