HC Deb 11 December 1997 vol 302 c687W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the costs of reorganisation, restructuring and redundancy following the award of the pre-registration nursing and midwifery education contract in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight. [19336]

Mr. Milburn

The National Health Service Executive South and West Regional Office has estimated that the overall savings offered by the new service delivery configuration outweigh the costs of moving to that configuration. The savings will significantly exceed the estimated transition costs over the life of the new contracts and these savings will be redeployed to provide both further eduction services and increased direct patient care.

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what scrutiny his Department undertook of the terms of the contract award for pre-registration nursing and midwifery education in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight by the NHS Executive South and West; [19333]

(2) what assessment he has made of the tender process for the award of the pre-registration nursing and midwifery education contract in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight by the NHS Executive South and West. [19337]

Mr. Milburn

Final contract terms for the pre-registration nursing and midwifery education contract in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight are currently under negotiation between the National Health Service Executive South and West Regional Office and the preferred bidders, the Universities of Southampton and Bournemouth.

The tender process observed all statutory duties, European Council regulations, Departmental and Treasury guidance. Specialist legal advice was obtained at each stage of the process. The tender process was overseen by a project board consisting of the Directors of Nursing, Public Health and Finance of the NHS Executive South and West Regional Office and the Chief Executive of Dorset Health Authority. The NHS Executive South and West Regional Office is a constituent part of the Department of Health.