Defence Secondary Care Agency (Hansard, 2 November 1998)

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average finished consultant episode cost for the Defence Secondary Care Agency for 1997–98; what was the equivalent figure for 1996–97; what target was set for 1997–98 for this indicator; and what was the performance against target. [56039]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA). I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Major General C. G. Callow to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 2 November 1998: I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the average finished consultant episode for the Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA) as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the DSCA. The estimated average finished consultant episode (FCE) for the DSCA for 1997/98 was £2580. The systems required to calculate this cost were not in place during 1996/97, the first year of the Agency's operation. Therefore, no comparable figure for that year is available. For 1997/98 the Agency was set the target of reducing 352W the average FCE by 3% during the year. This target was not achieved. The final outturn figure for 1997/98 was 1% up on the first quarter of that year.

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the ability of the Defence Secondary Care Agency to deliver the requirement to supply medically trained personnel to meet the operational needs of the commanders in chief during 1998–99; and if he will make a statement. [56066]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA). I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Major General C. G. Callow to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 2 November 1998: 1. I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking what assessment has been made about the ability of the Defence Secondary Care Agency to deliver the requirements to supply medically trained personnel to meet the operational needs of the commanders in Chief's during 1998/99. This matter falls in my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Agency. 2. It is my Key Target One, from within the personnel resources provided to the DSCA by the single Services, to meet 100% of the Commanders in Chief's requirements for secondary care trained personnel for operational deployments. We met the target in 1997/98 and we continue to do so during 1998/99. 3. We have recognised, however, that the difficulties faced by the single Services in recruiting sufficient uniformed personnel for the Defence Medical Services will influence greatly our own ability in maintaining our Key Target one performance. Senior military and MOD staff are aware of that position and Minister of State (Armed Forces) has asked for further advice, from the Department, on a number of DMS issues.