§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will review the proposals made by the Doncaster Royal infirmary and Mexborough Montagu hospital trust to increase the number of private beds at the Doncaster Royal infirmary; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyNHS trusts are free to supplement their NHS income by providing facilities for 593W private patients as long as this does not interfere with their ability to meet their NHS obligations. The negotiations under way between the trust and a private company involve the possible rental of wards surplus to NHS requirements, as the patients have been moved into new, purpose-built accommodation. The objective is to generate additional income for the benefit of NHS patients and no patients will be adversely affected by the Doncaster project.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reasons why Doncaster Royal infirmary and Mexborough Montagu hospital NHS trust, have applied to the National Rivers Authority for permission to abstract quantities of water from the Sherwood sandstone strata.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe National Rivers Authority granted permission to the hospital 12 months ago for use of the water for non-drinking purposes, resulting in a saving to the NHS.
§ Mr. LeightonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the names and professions of the proposed non-executive and executive directors of the second wave of trusts in the North East Thames region.
§ Mr. DorrellI will write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many of the second waves of hospital trusts announced by him have made provision for a nurse to be on the board of the trust;
(2) how many of the existing trusts still have made no provision for a nurse to be on the board of the trust.
§ Mr. DorrellThe NHS Trust Membership and Procedure Regulations 1990—Statutory Instruments 1990 No. 2024—places a statutory requirement on each trust to include a registered nurse or registered midwife as an executive director of the board, except where the trust does not provide services directly to patients or where the trust's principal function is to provide ambulance or patient transport services.