HC Deb 15 June 1998 vol 314 cc89-90W
Mrs. Lait

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what are the terms of the contract between the King's Fund and the NHS to provide Health Quality Services; and to whom the surveyors are contracted; [45411]

(2) if the Health Quality Service surveyors are wholly employed by the National Health Service and seconded to the survey; how many days a week on average they work for the survey; what are their qualifications; and how many of them there are; [45405]

(3) how many health trusts and authorities will be surveyed by the Health Quality Service survey; and if the survey will be extended to private sector hospitals; [45404]

(4) what is the budgeted cost to the NHS of the Health Quality Service surveyors. [45407]

Mr. Milburn

The Health Quality Service is independent of Government. There is no central contract between the King's Fund and the National Health Service to provide Health Quality Services, and the number of NHS and private sector organisations surveyed, the terms under which this work is carried out and the terms under which surveyors are engaged are matters for the Health Quality Service and those organisations which engage its services. No estimate has been made of the cost to the NHS of Health Quality Service surveyors.