HC Deb 07 July 2003 vol 408 c652W
Dr. Pugh

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which NHS hospital trusts rated two star and above have major hospital sites with an accident and emergency department that does not admit children for minor injuries; [122345]

(2) which casualty departments in NHS hospitals rated two star and above are assessed as being unsafe for the admittance of children. [122346]

Dr. Ladyman

The information requested on services provided by accident and emergency departments is not collected centrally. The range of services a particular trust provides, including whether or not they offer children's services, is not a factor in the centralised star rating system. Star ratings measure the services that are delivered by a trust and not all trusts can or should deliver the same range of services.

Many decisions on service provision are based on considerations of clinical safety. This is why the pattern of local health services, within national priorities, is a matter for local health planners to decide, based on the needs of the local population.

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