§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what financial year she intends to start allocating resources for NHS hospital and community health services direct to district health authorities; and whether it is her policy for such allocations to reflect district data on(a) housing tenure, (b) the age structure of the population, (c) ethnic origin, (d) standardised mortality ratios, (e) socio-economic status, (f) unemployment or (g) self-reported sickness;
(2) on what date she received the report commissioned by her Department from York university on "A formula for Distributing NHS Revenues Based on Small Area Use of Hospital Beds"; whether she intends to base the formula for distributing NHS resources to district health authorities on its findings; and when she intends to announce her proposals for the funding formula for district health authorities.
§ Mr. SackvilleWe received the results of a study we commissioned from York university in March 1994 and its report in July 1994. A modified formula based on the York analysis is to be used to inform allocations to regional health authorities in 1995–96. It will be for RHAs to decide which formula to use for their district health authorities.
In 1996–97, subject to legislation, there will be new health authorities embracing the functions of DHAs and family health services authorities. Work is in hand to look at an approach appropriate to those new circumstances.
The modified formula takes account of district data on age distribution and a wide range of health and socio-economic factors. Those include the categories to which the hon. Member refers with the exception of housing tenure which was included in the York analysis but not found to be statistically significant.