§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much, in each of the last three years, Wellhouse NHS trust(a) recovered from insurance companies for the cost of treatment and (b) spent on treating road accident victims. [62288]
§ Mr. HuttonInformation on the cost of treating road accident victims at the Wellhouse National Health Service Trust is not available. The trust received the following income under the provisions of sections 157 and 158 of the Road Traffic Act 1988:
Year Income (£000) 1995–96 52 1996–97 45 1997–98 30 Source:
1. Annual summarisation schedules 1997–98
2. Annual financial returns 1995–96 and 1996–97
The Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Bill, introduced to the House of Commons on 27 November 1998, will provide a centralised system of collection for Road Traffic Act charges. This will relieve hospitals of the administrative burden associated with this task and ensure that more cases are identified and that more income is returned directly to the hospital providing the care.