§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list all those services which are not regarded as core services as defined in the White Paper, "Working for Patients" paragraph 4.15;
(2) whether gynaecology is a core service as described in the White Paper, "Working for Patients".
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe White Paper stipulates that DHAs will be responsible for ensuring that the health needs of the population they serve are met; that there are effective services for the prevention and control of diseases and the promotion of health and that their population has access to a comprehensive range of high quality, value for money services. The broad categories of "core" services set out in the White Paper are examples of those to which patients need guaranteed local access. It will be up to each district health authority to consider in the light of their own particular circumstances what services constitute "core" services for them and what other servies can be obtained in a more flexible way. The duty of the district will be to obtain the best services for their populations from whatever source including their own hospitals, from other authorities' hospitals, from the new self-governing hospitals or the private sector.