§ Mr. Gwilym JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales which units in Wales have been invited to prepare applications to become national health service trusts in April 1993.
§ Mr. David HuntI have received proposals from almost half the units in Wales to establish national health service trusts. The "expressions of interest" cover ambulance, community and mental health services as well as acute care. I am inviting the following to prepare formal applications to become NHS trusts in April 1993.
- Clwyd Acute North Unit
- Clwyd Acute South Unit
- Clwyd Community and Mental Health Unit
- Gwent Community and Mental Health Unit
- South Gwent Health Unit
- Ogwr Health Unit
- Llanelli-Dinefwr Health Unit
- Ceredigion Health Unit
- Carmarthen-Dinefwr Health Unit
- Powys Health Unit
- Llandough Hospital Unit
- West Unit, West Glamorgan
- East Unit, West Glamorgan
- Gwent, Powys and South Glamorgan
- Ambulance Service
Taken together, these units involve a total of 82 hospitals, 11,000 beds, and contractual income for 1991–92 of £592 million and point the way forward for the delivery of effective and patient responsive services in Wales.
Applications are due to be submitted in the summer of 1992, but the decision to prepare application rests entirely with the units concerned. My decisions on the submissions will be taken following statutory consultation process.
272WI was not able to invite an application at this time from Llandudno general hospital. However, I have confidence that the hospital has the potential to become a successful trust and will benefit from having more time to further develop its proposls. I have also deferred decisions on the expressions received from the Cardiff royal group of hospitals and to establish a mental health NHS trust in South Glamorgan to take account of the conclusions which will emerge from the recently announced joint strategic review by South Glamorgan and Mid Glamorgan health authorities.
Including the Pembrokeshire NHS trust with the units now invited to apply for NHS trust status some 65 per cent. of acute services in Wales could be trust based by April 1993.