§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the proposed charges will be to social services departments to cover the costs of beds needlessly blocked through delayed discharges, as set out in paragraph 8.10 of 'Delivering the NHS Plan'; [56620]
(2) what the proposed incentive charges will be to NHS trusts to cover the costs of emergency readmissions to ensure patients are not discharged prematurely as set out in paragraph 8.10 of 'Delivering the NHS Plan'; [56619]
(3) if he will place in the Library the evidence that he has collated that NHS hospitals are discharging patients prematurely as set out in paragraph 8.10 of 'Delivering the NHS Plan'. [56618]
§ Jacqui SmithI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 15 May 2002,Official Report, columns 734–35W.
On the issue of premature discharge from hospital, information on emergency readmissions is available in 'NHS Performance Indicators: Acute NHS Hospital Trusts' (ref 26829) and 'NHS Performance Indicators: Health Authorities' (ref 26830) which are available in the Library.