§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to ensure that the circumstances identified in the health service commissioner's report on Leeds healthcare failure to provide long-term health care to a patient seriously incapacitated after a stroke are not repeated elsewhere; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. BowisAs part of the new community care arrangements we have required health and local authorities to agree their respective responsibilities for long-term care. This should be done in the light of their assessment of the best way to provide a comprehensive service to meet the needs of their local populations. We have also required them to agree co-ordinated hospital discharge arrangements. In addition, the chief executive of the National Health Service Management Executive wrote to all health authority managers, trust chief executives and unit general managers on 20 January 1994, EL(94)8, to remind them of the importance of having in place explicit and comprehensive discharge procedures which should be reviewed regularly. Copies of the letter are available in the Library.