HC Deb 25 May 1995 vol 260 cc754-5W
Mr. John D. Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what hospital costs and what increase in revenue costs have been anticipated as a result of the decision by the Eastern area health board to remove the infectious diseases service from Belvoir Park hospital; [24963]

(2) if the fixed costs of the infectious diseases service at Belvoir Park hospital, following its closure, will be transferred to the other service at Belvoir hospital; what will be the consequences for all area boards and general practitioner fundholders who purchase cancer treatment services at Belvoir hospital; and to what extent these consequences were taken into consideration by the Eastern area health board prior to its decision to close down the infectious diseases service at Belvoir hospital; [24966]

(3) if he will make available the option appraisals and business case which identified benefits against the costs involved in the transfer of the infectious diseases service from Belvoir Park hospital; [24968]

(4) if the Eastern area health board consulted with the Northern and Southern area health boards prior to the decision by the Eastern board to close the infectious diseases service at Belvoir Park hospital; what representations he has received from the Northern and Southern health boards; and to what extent these area health boards presently use the infectious diseases service at Belvoir Park hospital; [24964]

(5) to which hospital the infectious diseases service at Belvoir Park hospital will be transferred; and what is the target date for completion of this transfer. [24967]

Mr. Ancram

The Eastern health and social services board's original proposal concerning the transfer of the infectious diseases service was incorporated in its acute hospital services strategy, published in November 1993 after consultation with wide range of groups and individuals including the other three boards. The Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, North-East (Mr. Moss), has not had any representations from any of these boards about this proposal. The latest figures available show that in 1993— 94 354 patients from the Northern board and 336 from the Southern board used this service at Belvoir Park.

My noble Friend Baroness Denton approved the board's strategy in March 1994. After detailed investigation and further consideration of the proposal for infectious diseases the board has now decided that the service should be split and that it should be provided by the Royal Group of Hospitals trust and the Ulster, North Down and Ards Hospital trust. A steering group is to be established to take this forward and to complete the transfer by June 1996. It is hoped to do so on a revenue neutral basis. Any capital requirements linked to the transfer will be for the two trusts to meet, within available resources, and in the face of competing priorities.

With regard to fixed costs, when a service is transferred from one provider to another, the original provider is expected to reduce so far as possible any fixed costs associated with that service over a reasonable period of time.

Finally, any option appraisal and business case in support of the decision are a matter for the Eastern board and the chairman has been asked to write to the right hon. Gentleman.

Mr. John D. Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of infectious diseases used the service at Belvoir Park hospital in each of the past 10 years; and how many of these cases each year had to be sent to an intensive care facility at another location. [24965]

Mr. Ancram

The table shows the number of cases treated in the infectious diseases speciality in Belvoir Park hospital in the last 10 years. Information on the number of cases transferred to an intensive care facility at another location is not available.

Number
1984 1,988
1985 2,259
1986 2,018
1987 2,090
1988–89 1,889
1989–90 2,253
1990–91 2,241
1991–92 2,048
1992–93 2,079
1993–94 2,295