§ Mr. WattsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the(a) guidelines and (b) criteria are for the review of health allocation to local health trusts. [78616]
§ Mr. HuttonThe existing formula used to allocate National Health Service resources has been reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA). ACRA's terms of reference are to advise the Secretary of State for Health on the distribution of resources across primary and secondary care. Guidelines for the review are to put in place new mechanisms to distribute NHS cash more fairly and that the healthcare needs of populations, including the impact of deprivation, will be the driving force in determining where the cash goes. The main criterion of the review has been to contribute to the reduction in avoidable health inequalities.