HC Deb 26 February 2003 vol 400 cc615-6W
Ms Drown

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information foundation hospitals will cease to need to provide to their strategic health authority, his Department and other regulatory bodies. [99032]

Mr. Hutton

Paragraphs 3.22 and 3.23 of "A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts" set out our proposals for the provision of financial and statistical information by national health service foundation trusts. Forthcoming legislation will set out the process for defining information requirements for NHS foundation trusts.

Ms Drown

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether foundation trusts can choose not to have modern matrons. [99033]

Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that foundation hospitals cannot disestablish modern matron posts. [98592]

Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether foundation hospitals will have the right to remove modern matron posts. [98710]

Mr. Hutton

National health service foundation trusts will have freedom to put in place the staffing and management structures that ensure the necessary mix of skills to provide the best standard of care to patients.

Modern matron posts have been a very successful innovation and I would expect foundation trusts to take this into account.