Regional Health Authorities (Hansard, 15 December 1987)

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will be making new appointments to regional health authorities; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Newton
The term of office of about half the current members of regional health authorities ends on 30 September 1988 and, in accordance with the National Health Service Act 1977, we are seeking nominations for new members. If hon. Members wish to recommend any individuals for membership I invite them to write to me by 4 January 1988. Reappointments and changes will be announced in due course.

Revenue cash limits¹

Region 1979–80 £000s 1980–81 £000s 1981–82 £000s 1982–83 £000s 1983–84 £000s 1984–85 £000s 1985–86 £000s ²1986–87 £000s ³1987–88 £000s

Northern 331,760 442,422 483,312 524,176 553,972 588,093 618,849 663,513 699,786

Yorkshire 375,478 499,283 547,152 590,397 623,720 657,459 686,193 739,226 786,599

Trent 437,607 584,426 644,611 694,210 739,498 785,483 836,351 911,355 970,216

East Anglian 182,967 244,748 269,314 291,011 311,707 331,700 355,385 385,129 411,602

North West Thames 438,733 583,939 643,693 630,187 654,944 696,599 713,194 756,690 786,508

North East Thames 480,181 635,907 693,840 795,234 828,880 867,137 897,987 955,433 996,092

South East Thames 451,820 601,749 656,510 699,866 729,510 766,367 797,993 841,427 874,233

South West Thames 354,614 466,979 517,658 535,726 554,052 588,383 599,402 639,732 710,025

Wessex 268,318 351,050 390,364 424,173 440,120 479,603 504,701 546,020 580,446

Oxford 216,647 284,449 312,099 332,899 350,569 378,136 398,107 429,858 454,746

South Western 329,628 428,345 472,900 508,954 538,149 568,012 598,751 644,139 688,642

West Midlands 522,633 678,995 752,247 814,275 861,746 908,176 956,120 1,025,325 1,114,355

Mersey 283,802 369,217 406,198 437,494 457,275 481,787 501,459 537,022 564,742

North Western 456,855 601,857 675,155 730,416 763,336 807,578 848,196 912,460 959,886

¹ Inclusive of all in-year adjustments, carry forward from previous financial year, and in-year transfers between revenue and capital.

² Provisional.

³ Initial allocations shown. Final cash limits will reflect in-year adjustments (see note ¹) which have not yet been finalised.

§ Mr. Redwood
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the administrative cost of the regional health authorities in England in 1987–88.

§ Mr. Newton
The information requested is not collected in-year and the annual accounts of health authorities for 1987–88, from which it would be derived, are not due for submission to the Department until June 1988. Information is available for 1986–87 and is provided in the table.
However, in this context, it would be misleading to interpret regional health authority data in isolation from
494W

§ Mr. Patnick
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when the extra funding outlined in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement for the Health Service is to be made available to the regional health authorities; what will be the amount for the Trent region; what funding was available to the regions in the years 1979 and 1987 and whether the resource allocation working party formula will continue to apply.

§ Mr. Bernie Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to change the current policy of redistributing resources out of the North East Thames and other Thames regions in the light of its effects on London health districts; and if he will make a statement on the resource allocation working party formula as it applies to the North East Thames region.

§ Mr. Newton
Allocations to regional health authorities for 1988–89 will be announced shortly, including that for Trent regional health authority. The current review of the resource allocation working party formula is exploring the scope for improving the way in which the formula measures relative need for health care across the country. The review's programme of analysis and research is due for completion by around the end of the year, and any recommendations which may emerge will then be carefully considered. Meanwhile, the present arrangements will continue to apply, with the pace of change in allocations year by year remaining a matter for ministerial decision.
Funding to regional health authorities in the years 1979–80 to 1987–88 is in the table.
those for the districts they manage. Regions are managed in an integrated way and, therefore, to provide a more accurate picture, regional health authority and district health authority figures should be combined. In interpreting the figures, a number of factors need to be borne in mind, for example the size of the total budgets managed, the population of the region and the number of health autorities involved, all of which differ between regions. Similarly, the balance of management as between RHA and DHA headquarters that these figures appear to suggest will also vary from place to place according to such factors as geographical size, policy on centralisation of 495W services (for example supplies, ambulances, computers) to achieve economies of scale, whether the RHA has a policy of re-charging districts for services it provides etc.:

Region RHA administration¹ expenditure (£000) DHA administration¹ expenditure (£000) Total administration¹ expenditure (£000) Total revenue (£000) Total capital (£000) Resident population (million)

Northern 4,969 22,098 27,067 664,666 52,686 3.09

²(16)

Yorkshire 7,996 24,218 32,214 748,109 69,981 3.59

(17)

Trent 10,683 22,847 33,530 914,488 77,478 4.60

(12)

East Anglian 5,322 11,542 16,864 389,423 32,529 1.90

(8)

North West Thames 6,926 25,506 32,432 777,781 66,543 3.49

(14)

North East Thames 10,187 32,629 42,816 976,100 75,904 3.76

(16)

South East Thames 9,128 29,418 38,546 857,088 76,517 3.60

(15)

South West Thames 14,376 17,968 32,344 650,071 54,172 2.96

(13)

Wessex 4,264 17,466 21,730 549,152 70,999 2.87

(10)

Oxford 5,196 12,722 17,918 433,809 33,539 2.46

(8)

South Western 3,466 22,219 25,685 650,026 68,403 3.14

(11)

West Midlands 10,684 35,170 45,854 1,049,734 115,259 5.17

(22)

Mersey 4,159 17,176 21,335 542,821 48,443 2.41

(10)

North Western 12,089 26,594 38,683 922,352 65,673 3.95

(19)

Total 109,445 317,573 427,018 10,125,620 908,126 46.99

²(191)

¹ Expenditure on headquarters administration includes the pay and pay related costs of staff of all disciplines employed at regional/district headquarters levels and their office costs and overheads. It excludes the cost of clerical and secretarial support staff employed in departments at hospital and unit levels: such costs are regarded as operational.

² The figures in brackets in the second column of figures gives the numbers of Districts—191 in all (see (²))

Revenue cash limits¹
Region	1979–80 £000s	1980–81 £000s	1981–82 £000s	1982–83 £000s	1983–84 £000s	1984–85 £000s	1985–86 £000s	²1986–87 £000s	³1987–88 £000s
Northern	331,760	442,422	483,312	524,176	553,972	588,093	618,849	663,513	699,786
Yorkshire	375,478	499,283	547,152	590,397	623,720	657,459	686,193	739,226	786,599
Trent	437,607	584,426	644,611	694,210	739,498	785,483	836,351	911,355	970,216
East Anglian	182,967	244,748	269,314	291,011	311,707	331,700	355,385	385,129	411,602
North West Thames	438,733	583,939	643,693	630,187	654,944	696,599	713,194	756,690	786,508
North East Thames	480,181	635,907	693,840	795,234	828,880	867,137	897,987	955,433	996,092
South East Thames	451,820	601,749	656,510	699,866	729,510	766,367	797,993	841,427	874,233
South West Thames	354,614	466,979	517,658	535,726	554,052	588,383	599,402	639,732	710,025
Wessex	268,318	351,050	390,364	424,173	440,120	479,603	504,701	546,020	580,446
Oxford	216,647	284,449	312,099	332,899	350,569	378,136	398,107	429,858	454,746
South Western	329,628	428,345	472,900	508,954	538,149	568,012	598,751	644,139	688,642
West Midlands	522,633	678,995	752,247	814,275	861,746	908,176	956,120	1,025,325	1,114,355
Mersey	283,802	369,217	406,198	437,494	457,275	481,787	501,459	537,022	564,742
North Western	456,855	601,857	675,155	730,416	763,336	807,578	848,196	912,460	959,886
¹ Inclusive of all in-year adjustments, carry forward from previous financial year, and in-year transfers between revenue and capital.
² Provisional.
³ Initial allocations shown. Final cash limits will reflect in-year adjustments (see note ¹) which have not yet been finalised.

Region	RHA administration¹ expenditure (£000)	DHA administration¹ expenditure (£000)	Total administration¹ expenditure (£000)	Total revenue (£000)	Total capital (£000)	Resident population (million)
Northern	4,969	22,098	27,067	664,666	52,686	3.09
		²(16)
Yorkshire	7,996	24,218	32,214	748,109	69,981	3.59
		(17)
Trent	10,683	22,847	33,530	914,488	77,478	4.60
		(12)
East Anglian	5,322	11,542	16,864	389,423	32,529	1.90
		(8)
North West Thames	6,926	25,506	32,432	777,781	66,543	3.49
		(14)
North East Thames	10,187	32,629	42,816	976,100	75,904	3.76
		(16)
South East Thames	9,128	29,418	38,546	857,088	76,517	3.60
		(15)
South West Thames	14,376	17,968	32,344	650,071	54,172	2.96
		(13)
Wessex	4,264	17,466	21,730	549,152	70,999	2.87
		(10)
Oxford	5,196	12,722	17,918	433,809	33,539	2.46
		(8)
South Western	3,466	22,219	25,685	650,026	68,403	3.14
		(11)
West Midlands	10,684	35,170	45,854	1,049,734	115,259	5.17
		(22)
Mersey	4,159	17,176	21,335	542,821	48,443	2.41
		(10)
North Western	12,089	26,594	38,683	922,352	65,673	3.95
		(19)
Total	109,445	317,573	427,018	10,125,620	908,126	46.99
		²(191)
¹ Expenditure on headquarters administration includes the pay and pay related costs of staff of all disciplines employed at regional/district headquarters levels and their office costs and overheads. It excludes the cost of clerical and secretarial support staff employed in departments at hospital and unit levels: such costs are regarded as operational.
² The figures in brackets in the second column of figures gives the numbers of Districts—191 in all (see (²))