§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the projected lifetime cost is of implementing the booked admissions programme. [73324]
§ Mr. HuttonThe national booking programme began as 24 pilots in 1998 and since September 2001 is being implemented in every health community in England in order to move booking to a mainstream way of providing National Health Service services. By 819W December 2005 all inpatients and outpatients will benefit from the choice of a convenient date, time, place and provider for their hospital appointments and admissions.
Booked appointments are one element of the reforms set out in the NHS Plan to provide health services designed around the patient. The lifetime costs of the booking programme are not separately identifiable from the overall costs of improving patient services. The table below shows funding made available to the national booking programme since 1998.
National Booking Programme Funding since 1998 (£ million) 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 10 20 40 50 60