§ Mrs. Ray MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his plans to amalgamate Scottish health trusts. [2354]
§ Mr. GalbraithI announced to Trust Chairmen on 30 May that I intend to take early action to reduce the number of Trusts where the opportunity arises. I also said that I would expect any reconfiguration of the network of Trusts in Scotland to be founded on the development of clinical links between hospitals, and between hospitals and primary care.
Discussions are taking place amongst some Trusts about the possibilities for merger and I await the outcome of those discussions with interest.