§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the level of price increases which the Royal London Hospital Trust has charged health authorities using its services(a) last year and (b) in the current year; what is the proposed increase for next year; what measures it is taking to achieve its three per cent. efficiency savings target; and if he will make a statement. [66100]
§ Mr. DenhamInformation on the level of service agreements between individual National Health Service trusts and health authorities is not routinely collected by the NHS Executive. A national schedule of reference costs, published on 2 November 1998, contains information on hospital costs for 1997–98 and is available in the Library. Information on 1998–99 costs will be available in June 1999.
The NHS as a whole is expected to achieve an overall 3 per cent. efficiency improvement in 1999–2000. Details of measures taken by individual NHS trusts will be available from NHS trusts themselves.