Private Patients (Hansard, 27 October 1994)

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total income generated from private patients in 1993–94, and for each trust.

§ Mr. Sackville
This information will not be available until December 1994.

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospital trusts have dedicated private bed units.

§ Mr. Sackville
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 26 May,Official Report, column 303.

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the NHS activity figure for private patients by region in 1992–93 and 1993–94.

§ Mr. Sackville
Figures for 1992–93 will be published shortly in "Hospital Episodes Statistics, Volume 1, England 1992–93", copies of which will be placed in the Library. The 1993–94 figures are not yet available.

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what limits there are on the number of private beds as percent private work that NHS trusts can do.

§ Mr. Sackville
None, providing there is no significant interference with the performance of the trust of its obligations under national health service contracts. That statutory requirement prevents NHS patients from being disadvantaged by private practice within the health service.