§ Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice NHS bodies in Shropshire have received about(a) the urgency and (b) the scope of a merger between hospital trusts in the county. [45730]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 25 March 2002]: I am not aware that NHS bodies in Shropshire received advice concerning any urgent need to prepare an Expression of Interest document to put before the Secretary of State.
The full scope of the proposal cannot be determined at this early stage, although all concerned parties are to be engaged whilst preparing the Expression of Interest document.
§ Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice was sought by or given to NHS bodies in Shropshire about the timing of the launch of its consultation on a prospective expression of interest in the merger of hospital trusts in the county in relation to the abolition of the local health authority and the establishment of primary care trusts. [45731]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 25 March 2002]: The Princess Royal Hospital NHS Trust and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust made a decision that preparing the Expression of Interest document should wait until the uncertainty around the future roles of the NHS bodies in Shropshire were resolved to ensure their full involvement in the process.
I understand that the roles have been made clear, and the new Strategic Health Authority and Primary Care Trusts although physically not in place when the Trusts made their intentions public, had been included in discussions affecting the future of healthcare services within the locality.