§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many primary care groups have been established in England and Wales; how many of these groups have been changed to primary care trusts; and what the estimated administrative cost is of establishing these organisations; [129475]
(2) if he will make a statement on the procedures for transferring responsibility from community care trusts to primary care trusts in respect of the services to be provided by the trusts and in particular about the arrangements for transferring responsibilities to the Southend Primary Care Trust. [129476]
§ Mr. Denham481 primary care groups became operational on 1 April 1999. Nineteen of these were approved for primary care trust status and began operating as 17 primary care trusts on 1 April 2000. Two primary care trusts merged. There are now 459 primary care groups and 17 primary care trusts in England covering a population of over 49 million.
Information regarding local health groups in Wales can be obtained by contacting the Welsh Assembly.
Primary care groups perform functions formerly discharged by their parent health authorities. They are funded to do so by the health authority from within existing resources in their unified budget allocations. Central support was provided to health authorities in 1998–99 to help them to establish primary care groups. This funding was released by the ending of the general practitioner fundholding scheme.
In 1999–2000, health authorities receive £25,000 towards the cost of developing each primary care trust proposal which goes to consultation. Each primary care trust that is approved receives central funding towards its preparatory and development costs—£100,00 for a Level 3 primary care trust and £175,000 for Level 4 primary care trust.
Every health authority is required to conduct a local consultation on each prospective primary care trust. The consultation typically lasts between six weeks and three months. A report is presented to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State which includes details on the proposal itself, the health authority's view on the proposed primary care trust and its state of readiness, the proposed establishment and operational dates and a summary of the consultation results which identifies the community services, currently provided by the local community National Health Service trust, to be provided by the prospective primary care trust. These services reflect the views of the local community and other stakeholders.
Information on the consultation process is contained in Health Service Circular 1999/207 "Primary Care Trusts: Consultation on Proposals to Establish a Primary Care Trust". Copies have been placed in the Library.
Southend Primary Care Group became a Level 3 primary care trust from 1 April 2000 and will be consulting on moving to Level 4 from April 2001. The remaining six primary care groups within South Essex Health Authority are aiming to move to trust status in April 2001. This may 577W then result in five Level 4 primary care trusts in South Essex. External consultants are currently facilitating a local review of how clinical and support services provision may change. Local priorities, including services to be managed by each primary care trust, will be included in the consultation documentation. The consultation is likely to run from 1 August to 31 October. No transfer of community services will be made until primary care trust Level 4 status is achieved following successful consultation with wide stakeholder support.