§ Mr. Robin CookTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hospitals he expects will have National Health Service hospital trust status in 1991; and how many hospitals he expects will eventually achieve that status.
§ Mr. Grist[holding answer 8 March 1989]: It will be possible by the early 1990s for a major acute hospital that so desires to become self-governing, provided that it shows clearly that it will have the capacity to provide efficiently and effectively an adequate range and depth of services to the population it serves. It is too soon to say how many hospitals will initially or eventually request and secure trust status.