HC Deb 21 June 1989 vol 155 cc165-7W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Health under the proposals contained in his White Paper "Working for Patients" what role patients will have in influencing the placing of contracts.

Mr. Mellor

Providing patients with better health care and a greater choice of service should be the overriding consideration in the placing of contracts. The ability of hospitals which are popular with patients, and in demand, to win further contracts and expand their service will be a major factor in increasing the patient-responsiveness of the NHS. It will be supported by the close involvement with GPs either as budget holders or as users of DHA contracts.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Health under the proposals contained in the White Paper "Working for Patients" what role community health councils will have in the placing of contracts.

Mr. Mellor

We are still considering the overall role of community health councils in relation to contract funding. They will however continue to be consulted on substantial developments or variations in health care provision.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what element of additional cost required for the administration of the placing of contracts he has estimated is needed to ensure that district health authorities, hospitals and doctors have the knowledge and expertise to negotiate satisfactory contracts under his White Paper proposals.

Mr. Mellor

The administrative cost of contract funding cannot be assessed until detailed plans for implementation have been drawn up. Over time any extra costs will be offset by the improved efficiency that contracts will bring. In the meantime the Government have made it clear that the cost of implementing the White Paper proposals will not be met at the expense of patient care. Over £82 million has been made available to cover implementation work in the current financial year.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role community health councils will have in influencing the decisions of new district health authorities and the running of hospital trusts as envisaged in his White Paper "Working for Patients."

Mr. Mellor

Community health councils will as now have the opportunity to comment on the overall pattern of services which district health authorities will secure on behalf of their residents, including in future any provided by NHS hospital trusts.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role local people will have in influencing the decisions of the new district health authorities and the running of hospital trusts as envisaged in his White Paper "Working for Patients."

Mr. Mellor

The non-executive members of health authorities will normally live, work or have some other connection with the area covered by the health authority. At least two of the non-executive directors of NHS hospital trusts will be drawn from the local community. Community health councils will continue to play an important role in representing the views of the local community on health service matters, while health authorities themselves will be encouraged periodically to test consumer opinion and to act on the findings. Health authority meetings will remain open to the public as now and NHS hospital trusts will be required to hold at least one public meeting a year.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role patients will have in influencing the decisions of the new district health authorities and the running of hospital trusts as envisaged in his White Paper "Working for Patients."

Mr. Mellor

Under our proposals the role of health authorities will be enhanced as they switch from the provision of care to the identification of the health needs of their resident population and the purchase of care and services to meet that need. This enhanced role will enable them to focus on the needs of patients. Individual GPs—especially those with practice budgets—will be involved in the direct placement of contracts to meet their patients needs. This brings the provision of care closer to the level of the individual patient, whose agent the GP is. In the future patients will have more say in choosing and changing their GP.