HC Deb 28 May 2004 vol 422 cc176-7W
Mr. Nicholas Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment has been made of the savings to the NHS in the primary care trusts that have piloted the Evercare model of service provision; [175808]

(2) what evaluation has been made of the (a)costs and (b)benefits to the national health service of the Evercare pilot programmes provided by the United Healthcare Group. [175813]

Mr. Hutton

The pilot schemes are being independently evaluated by the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre.

Mr. Nicholas Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will place in the Library(a)contracts or agreements that the national health service has entered into with the United Healthcare Group and (b)monitoring and evaluation reports in respect of these contracts or agreements; [175809]

(2) if he will list the agreements or contracts that have been entered into with the United Healthcare Group for providing consultancy, health care or other services to the national health service. [175810]

Mr. Hutton

Ten primary care trusts (PCTs) have entered contracts with United Health Group for support in implementing the group's care model locally. The Department does not hold copies of those contracts. Nor does the Department hold lists of contracts placed by national health service bodies with particular companies. I have however placed in the Library UnitedHealth Group's interim report on implementation of its care model in the pilot PCTs.

Mr. Nicholas Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contacts at official level there have been between his Department and United Healthcare Group since October 2003. [175811]

Mr. Hutton

Departmental officials have met representatives of United Health Group within the steering group established to oversee the piloting by primary care trusts of the group's care model. UnitedHealth Group has also participated in events organised by the Department's Modernisation Agency to help support better management of chronic conditions.

Mr. Nicholas Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many civil servants in his Department have left their posts in order to take up employment with the United Healthcare Group in the past two years. [175812]

Mr. Hutton

No civil servants have left posts in the Department to take up employment with UnitedHealth Group in the past two years.

Mr. Nicholas Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the National Health Service has paid to the United Healthcare Group in respect of(a)the Evercare pilot programmes and (b)other services provided by the United Healthcare Group. [175814]

Mr. Hutton

£3.7 million was allocated by the Department in 2003—04 to primary care trusts (PCTs) towards the costs of their individual agreements with UnitedHealth Group. The actual costs of each contract are a matter for each PCT.