NHS Trusts (Hansard, 1 December 1993)

§ Mr. Blunkett
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether travel expenses for employees of national health service trusts, incurred through attending training sessions, should be paid by the employing trust.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
This is a matter for the employing trust.

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the total accumulated receipts of the NHS trusts that have achieved a 6 per cent. return on assets.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
National health service trusts do not have accumulated receipts. They do, however, have accumulated reserves which represent the surpluses retained in the trusts after interest and dividends. The total net accumulated income and expenditure reserves of all NHS trusts at 31 March 1993 was £134,510,000.

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what connections the outgoing chairman of the Royal Cornwall hospital trust had with any political party;
(2) what are the party political affiliations of chairs of trusts and regional health authorities and district health authorities at present.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
We do not seek details on political affiliation. People are appointed for their personal qualities, and for the skills they bring to the leadership and strategic direction of the national health service.

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to dismiss the chairman and chief executives of(a) health authorities and (b) NHS trusts whose authorities fail regularly to meet the standards of the patients charter.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
None.
We expect the corporate governance task force to set out new definitions of the functions of chairmen and non-executive directors and it will be against these definitions that their performance will be judged. The performance of chief executives of national health service authorities and trusts is a matter for the chairman and non-executive directors working together.

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the salary of the chairman of the Royal Cornwall hospital trust.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
The remuneration of the chairman of the Royal Cornwall hospital trust is £19,285 per year.

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the grounds for not renewing the contract from 30 November of the chairman of the Royal Cornwall hospital trust; when he was informed that his contract would not be renewed; and on what basis he was appointed as chairman of the trust two years ago.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
The chairman of the Royal Cornwall hospital trust was appointed for a two year term of office which expired on 30 November 1993.
In considering whether to offer a further term, we sought advice from the national health service management executive outpost director and the regional health authority chairman. We decided, after very careful consideration of a variety of factors which govern these matters, that a change in the leadership of the trust was necessary.
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I wrote to the chairman of the Royal Cornwall hospital trust on 5 November informing him of my decision.

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the current official listed business addresses of each(a) NHS hospital trust and (b) general practitioner fund holding practice within (i) the Trent regional health authority and (ii) Yorkshire regional health authority.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
A list of addresses of national health service trusts in Trent and Yorkshire regions will be placed in the Library. The information on general practitioner fundholding practices is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Michael Carlisle and Sir Bryan Askew, the chairmen of the Trent and Yorkshire regional health authorities for details.

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ask all existing chairmen and non-executive directors of health authorities and NHS trusts if they would be willing to continue in office without payment other than loss of earnings and expenses.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
No.

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reasons were given for the chief executive of the Royal Cornwall hospital trust leaving in February 1992.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
This is a matter for the board chairman and non-executive directors of the Royal Cornwall hospital trust. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. John Williams, vice chairman of the trust and acting chairman, for details.

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to issue advice to NHS trusts to prevent trusts seeking contracts by offering faster treatment for patients covered by these contracts.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
Guidance has already been issued jointly by the Department and the Joint Consultants Committee which clearly states that provider units should not offer contracts to one purchaser which would disadvantage the patients of another purchaser.