HC Deb 01 February 1996 vol 270 cc921-2W
Ms Eagle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much NHS trusts and general practitioner practices pay Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. of Loughborough for the use of the Read clinical coding system broken down by(a) trust and (b) family health services authority. [12749]

Mr. Horam

The Read codes are Crown copyright and there is no change to the national health service for their use.

National Health Service users of Read codes pay Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. for support and distribution services only. These services are charged under a formula agreed with the Department of Health, subject to a permitted cost plus mechanism to ensure value for money and audited annually by external auditors acting for the Department of Health.

The annual sums payable by users for support and distribution services are: general practitioners—£75 per practice. Family health services authorities—normal charges are £75 per computer screen in each authority. Trust/unit users are charged according to usage: the current annual charge is £3,691.

Ms Eagle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the NHS receives each year from Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd.; when the contract comes up for renewal; and if the current contracted arrangement will remain unchanged after renewal. [12751]

Mr. Horam

The national health service receives no payment from Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. in respect of its work in distributing and supporting the use of Read codes within the service.

The contract for this work, between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. is subject to annual audit by external auditors acting for the Department of Health to ensure value for money. It is three-year rolling contract, subject to continuing review.

Ms Eagle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the contractual relationship between Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. and the NHS centre for coding and classification. [12750]

Mr. Horam

There is no direct contractual relationship between Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. and the NHS centre for coding and classification; however, there is a contract for the distribution and support of the use of Read codes between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd.