§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there will be a risk fund for all NHS trusts implementing the new financial flows reforms over the next five years. [154146]
§ Mr. HuttonWe do not expect such a fund will be necessary from 2005–06 onwards for either national health service trusts or NHS foundation trusts. This is because methodology to address the costs of highly complex and specialised cases within the tariff is planned to be developed for implementation from 2005–06.