§ Ms JowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria she applies when considering proposals for mergers of NHS trusts.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe same criteria area used to assess all applications for national health service trust status, including proposals for trust mergers. They are that the establishment of the trust will give clear benefits and improved quality of service to patients; that management has the necessary skills and capacity to operate independently; that senior professional staff, especially consultants, are involved in the management of the unit and that the trust will be financially viable.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the chief executives of the fourth wave of NHS trusts will receive remuneration of £80,000 per year or above; and if she will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyInformation about the individual remuneration of trust chief executives is not held centrally. The remuneration of trust chief executives is a matter for trust boards but information about their emoluments is published in annual accounts and annual reports available locally.
§ Ms JowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mergers of hospital trusts have taken place in London and in England since 1990; and how many hospital beds have closed as a result.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThere have been three mergers of national health service trusts since 1990. Information on bed closures is not available centrally.