Primary Care Trusts (Hansard, 18 June 2002)

§ Dr. Fox
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of health care services in their area he expects primary care trusts will be responsible for commissioning in(a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005. [61441]

§ Mr. Hutton
There are currently 303 primary care trusts (PCTs) established, with 99 per cent. of these being level four PCTs. Level four PCTs commission services, run community hospitals and provide community health services.
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Subject to legislation, PCTs will take on the responsibility for a greater range of functions including the commissioning of all acute and specialised services. By 2004, PCTs will be responsible for 75 per cent. of the total national health service resources.

§ Mr. Heald
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how deficits arising in health authorities or in strategic health authorities in 2002–03 will be taken into account in allocating money to PCTs; [46415]
(2) whether health authority deficits will be allocated to PCTs; and if he will make a statement on how such allocations will be calculated and made. [46417]

§ Mr. Hutton
[holding answer 26 March 2002]: Resources will continue to be allocated on the basis of the relative needs of primary care trust populations.
Under the Government's resource accounting arrangements, all health authorities are required to contain their annual expenditure within an agreed resource limit allocation. As a consequence there should be no health authority or strategic health authority deficits.

§ Harry Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will strengthen the management of primary care trusts operating in areas of social deprivation. [59128]

§ Mr. Hutton
All primary care trusts have a challenging agenda to deliver the NHS Plan. We are taking steps to ensure that they have the means to strengthen their management capacity by lifting the cap on primary care trust management costs. The Modernisation Agency has also in place a number of initiatives designed to support and strengthen the organisational development of primary care trusts as well as strengthening the management capacity through initiatives such as the national primary and care trust development programme and the chief executives development programme.
From 1 April 2002 legislation provides for primary care trusts to have a director of public health on their boards. The focus of their activity will be on local neighbourhoods and communities, leading and driving programmes to improve health and reduce inequalities. They will also play a powerful role in forging partnerships with, and influencing, all local agencies to ensure the widest possible participation in the health and health care agenda.