HC Deb 18 February 1998 vol 306 c709W
Mr. Maples

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement regarding his Department's policy on mergers of NHS trusts. [29009]

Mr. Milburn

We welcome proposals for closer joint working between National Health Service trusts, leading in some cases to proposals for merger, as demonstrations of the new approach to partnership in the NHS. Each merger arises from a local decision and is considered on its merits. The key criterion for mergers is that they should offer the best means of delivering benefits to patients. All mergers will be expected to demonstrate administrative savings. There is no national target for numbers of mergers.