§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list by regional health authority the hospitals that have currently been penalised financially for failing to treat patients within the waiting time limits set by the patients charter; and if she will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe information requested is not available centrally. Allocations from the waiting times fund are linked to regions performance on waiting times. Deductions are made for specific breaches of the patients charter guarantees. These deductions act as an incentive to good management and some regions therefore pass them on to the responsible provider units.