§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied that district health authorities have sufficient powers under existing legislation to ensure satisfactory standards and provision in private hospitals to influence the type and quality of work undertaken, to encourage specific additional provision identified in district health authorities strategic plans and to insist on the district health authorities receiving sufficient information to facilitate planning and to create a minimum data base on the private health sector.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeUnder the Nursing Homes Act 1975, health authorities have to ensure that satisfactory standards of staffing and accommodation are maintained in private hospitals and nursing homes. We have recently asked health authorities, with the knowledge and agreement of representatives of the private sector, to take full account of existing and planned private sector provision in planning services. Such information as health authorities require in order to undertake their registration responsibilities has to be provided under regulations. If a health authority required further information for planning purposes I have every reason to believe this would be provided.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State For Social Services whether he is making any assessment of the effect of the private sector on the standard and distribution of health care in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe Royal Commission on the NHS in its report in 1979 expressed the view that the private sector was too small to make a significant impact on the NHS except locally and temporarily. Since then only a small number of private hospitals has been opened, but the Government welcome further developments of the private sector which add to the health care facilities of the country. We shall keep the position under review.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what contribution the private sector of medicine makes towards the training of professional staff, particularly in the known shortage areas of medical, research, nursing and ancillary staff.
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§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe private sector of health care assists with the training of health professionals by providing basic and post-basic training of nurses, and some training for operating department assistants.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any proposals to ensure that the private sector of medicine allocates resources according to nationally determined policies and priorities.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNo.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware of any proposals for the development of private facilities to care for the mentally ill and handicapped and the chronically ill.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThis information is not kept by the Department. Only premises providing hospital services as defined in section 12(1) of the Health Services Act 1980—that is, in almost all cases, acute beds—are notified to my right hon. Friend under that Act. I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, South (Mr. Dobson) on 7 December 1981.—[Vol. 14, c.308–10.]