NHS Trusts (Hansard, 12 July 1993)

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will introduce legislation to instruct NHS trusts to enter formal consultations with local community health councils and other local interested bodies about proposals for substantial development or substantial variations in services, with a prescribed time of three months, excluding major holidays, by which comments and views are sought; and if she will make a statement.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
District health authorities are already required to consult the local community health councils when substantial changes in local services are under consideration, including services delivered by national health service trusts.
378W

§ Mr. Miller
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will instruct health authorities to require NHS hospital trusts to publish(a) spending plans and (b) decisions affecting the delivery of services.

§ Mr. Sackville
No. National health service trusts are already required to publish their strategic directions, summary business plans, and their annual reports and accounts. Service contracts made with health authorities are also available publicly.

§ Mrs. Jane Kennedy
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria she uses to determine who are appointed as non-executive members of NHS trust boards; and who is responsible for short-listing candidates for appointments.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
Non-executive directors of national health service trusts are appointed for their personal qualities and the knowledge and skills which they can bring to the post, and not to represent any particular body or interest. The aim is to achieve a balance of different skills on trust boards. Regional health authorities are responsible for identifying and selecting candidates for appointment to NHS trusts when they are initially established, and for recommending these to Ministers. For already established trusts, recommendations on the reappointment or replacement of non-executive directors are made by NHS trust chairmen after consultation with regional health authorities and the NHS management executive outposts.