§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on progress in developing a corporate programme for the National Health Service in Wales, following the publication of his Department's document "Policies and Priorities for Health Services in Wales".
§ Mr. Mark RobinsonPreparatory work on "A Corporate Management Programme for the Health Service in Wales" has been completed and a consultation document is to be issued today. The main aim of the programme is to detail the work which must be undertaken on an all-Wales basis, to improve the management of the NHS in the Principality to the benefit of patient care and to help authorities deal positively with the problems they face in common.
This is the first time that a planning document of this kind has been prepared for Wales. I believe it will have a very constructive influence on the way in which the NHS develops in the years to come. A copy of the consultation document is available in the Library of the House.