§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department gives to health authorities concerning expenditure by health authorities on newspaper advertisements issued in connection with an authority's proposal to apply for trust status.
§ Dr. MawhinneyNone. Trust applications are subject to public consultation by regional health authorities, and it is for regions, in consultation with individual trust applicants to decide how best to conduct the consultation and bring it to public notice.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her policy towards applications for trust status where a hospital trust business plan has as its long-term objective the closure of the hospital concerned.
§ Dr. MawhinneyTo be successful, each trust must provide the range, volume and quality of services required by its purchasers.
Each trust application is judged against four key criteria: the benefits to patients and improvements in the quality of services it will achieve; leadership and management; the involvement in management of key professional staff; and, financial viability.