§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has given to Medway health authority about purchasing patient care facilities from outwith the authority area.
§ Mr. DorrellLike all district health authorities—DHAs—Medway health authority's key task will be to secure, through contracts, a package of services to reflect the health needs of its resident population. DHAs will be able to commission services from units which they consider to offer the best quality and value for money, both inside and outside their district boundaries. In placing contracts, all DHAs will need to consider their residents' access to services.
Guidance on these and other aspects of contracts has been published in "Contracts for Health Services: Operational Principles" (EL(89)169) and "Contracts for Health Services: Operating Contracts" (EL(90)MB24), copies of which are available in the Library.