§ Mr. Robin CookTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the cost of the resource management initiative; and what savings its introduction has achieved.
§ Mr. FreemanThe Department of Health has contributed £2.3 million to the six pilot acute resource managment sites to date. In addition, health authorities, both regional and district, have provided some funding to the projects. Piloting at the six sites is still continuing and the initiative is scheduled to be evaluated by the joint consultants committee and the management executive, the co-sponsers of the projects, in October 1989. Financial savings and quality of care benefits will mainly accrue at the sites once their new systems are fully implemented. At most sites this will be during 1989–90 at which point the sites should be absorbing their continuing running costs. To date, benefits have been mainly in the form of an improvement in the working relationship between staff groups and in planning and budget setting.