§ Mr. HawkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money NHS hospitals have claimed from motor insurance providers to recover the cost of treating road accident casualties over the last three years. [4072]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 16 July 2001]: Prior to 5 April 1999, National Health Service trusts had responsibility for collecting charges for hospital treatment following road traffic accidents under the provisions of sections 157 and 158 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The system changed with the introduction of the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999, which came into effect on 5 April 1999 and there is now a new centralised recovery system, which is undertaken by the Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU). The table gives income collected for the last three years during which the system for recovery changed.
NHS trusts (England) income from activities: Road Traffic Act —million 1998–991 19.6 1999–20002 26.4 2000–0l3 67 1Income collected under the old scheme taken from NHS Trusts (England) Summarisation Schedules. 2Transitional year, this is income collected by the CRU under the newscheme as other income received by trusts as a spill over from the old arrangements cannot be identified separately in Trust Accounts. 3Income collected by the CRU under the new scheme.