§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the current arrangements for consulting on and drawing-up contracts for the provision of neurological services. [72565]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 22 February 1999]: The White Paper, "The new NHS", set out new arrangements for commissioning services through the introduction of long term service agreements. All commissioning in the new National Health Service will take place through service agreements.
Health authorities and primary care groups will be responsible for drawing up service agreements with NHS trusts to deliver improvements in health and health care services which meet the needs of their population.
Increasingly, service agreements will need to reflect the development of long-term relationships between primary care groups and NHS trusts, be based on the shared view of the outcomes of care needed, and cover integrated pathways of care. Guidance on "Commissioning in the new NHS" emphasised that this will apply, in particular, to long-term medical conditions, such as neurological conditions, where, following accurate and timely diagnosis, patient care will largely be managed outside of an acute setting.
A compendium of good practice on the commissioning of neurological services is currently being considered for development in 1999/2000.