HC Deb 27 April 1995 vol 258 cc623-4W
Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the approximate population to be served by a district general hospital. [21070]

Mr. Malone

There is no fixed population to be served by a district general hospital as such hospitals do not just serve the needs of the local population. It is the responsibility of district health authorities, as the main purchasers of health care for their populations, to ensure that local health care needs are met through the placing of contracts with hospitals both inside their boundaries and, where appropriate, outside.

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she gives on the percentage of a district general hospital area that should be within a 30-minute blue light travel time from a district general hospital. [21071]

Mr. Sackville

There is no central guidance on this matter. It is for the district health authority to take relevant issues into account when placing contracts for services.