§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the robustness of the health resource group for specialist services, in advance of the implementation of these groups as a basis for the financial flows reforms. [158502]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department is carrying out a review of specialised services so as to ensure that providers of these services are fairly reimbursed under the financial flows reforms. We recognise that, for some of these services, case mix adjustment based on current health care resource group classifications (HR Gs) may not, by itself, provide sufficient reimbursement to specialised providers. Work is under way to refine HRGs to overcome this problem. We are also looking at other options such as adjustments to tariff for patients who have an exceptionally long stay in hospital. We shall be consulting widely with providers and commissioners of these services to make sure that we find the best way forward for each service.