§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will prepare guidance and provide funds for the new National Health Service hospital trusts to ensure that their participation in clinical research is not diminished by their new status;
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that the necessary facilities for teaching and research will continue to be provided on a long-term basis for medical and scientific professors and readers holding honorary appointments in the hospitals which are interested in becoming National Health Service hospital trusts.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyGuidance on applications for NHS trust status make it clear that plans for involvement in research should be clearly set out. Orders establishing trusts will specify research as a function of individual trusts where it already plays a major part. The National Health Service and Community Care Bill provides explicit powers for NHS trusts to engage in research and support research by others and for the existence of reserve powers to ensure continued involvement in research.
805WIn addition to money provided through contracts between purchasers and providers, funds will be available through SIFT: a similar scheme is being developed for non-teaching locations to meet the excess service costs to the NHS of research by universities and others. These should provide that hospitals will not become uncompetitive as a result of their involvement in research.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with university authorities regarding the provision of research and teaching facilities for academic staff in the National Health Service hospitals that have expressed an interest in becoming National Health Service hospital trusts.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyUniversity authorities have been represented at meetings with officials at which these issues have been discussed, notably in the steering group on undergraduate medical and dental education.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the teaching hospitals that have expressed an interest in becoming a National Health Service hospital trust currently have medical and scientific professors and readers holding honorary appointments; and what is the total number of such professors and readers.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyAll teaching hospitals might be expected to have medical and scientific professors and readers holding honorary appointments working in them. Medical teaching and research now takes place in many locations outside the main university hospitals. Details of honorary appointments are not held centrally.