HC Deb 02 March 2000 vol 345 cc411-3W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which private firms were invited to tender for the supply of non-medical supplies and equipment to NHS trusts in(a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000 to date. [112570]

Mr. Denham

This information is not available because National Health Service trusts are not required to report to the Department which firms they have invited to tender.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much NHS trusts spent on non-medical supplies and equipment in(a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000 to date. [112541]

Mr. Denham

Information is not available for 1999–2000.

Expenditure on non-medical supplies and equipment 1997–98 and 1998–99 is shown in the table.

£000
1997–98 1998–99
Revenue expenditure:
Supplies and services—general 627,624 704,052
Premises 1,480,979 1,468,051
Establishment 638,573 674,119
Transport 173,104 173,955
Audit fees 18,468 18,828
£000
1997–98 1998–99
Other auditors' remuneration 13,031 12,675
Other 722,149 847,930
Capital assets:
Equipment—additions 352,296 343,690

Descriptions of the entries in the revenue expenditure lines are as follows:

Supplies and services—general This is the trust's total revenue expenditure on such things as:

  • cleaning equipment, materials and external contracts;
  • provisions;
  • contract catering;
  • staff uniforms and clothing;
  • patients' clothing;
  • laundry equipment, materials and external contracts;
  • hardware and crockery; and
  • bedding and linen (both disposable and non-disposable).

Premises This is the trust's total revenue expenditure on:

  • coal;
  • oil;
  • electricity;
  • gas;
  • other fuel;
  • water and sewerage;
  • general supplies and services;
  • furniture;
  • furnishings and fittings;
  • office equipment;
  • computer hardware and software;
  • data processing services;
  • rates;
  • rent;
  • property insurance;
  • engineering and building maintenance; and
  • other miscellaneous.

Establishment This is the trust's total revenue expenditure on administrative expenses including:

  • printing and stationery;
  • postage;
  • telephones;
  • advertising;
  • travel;
  • subsistence;
  • removal expenses; and
  • staff cars.

Transport This is the trust's total revenue expenditure on:

  • vehicle insurance;
  • fuel and oil;
  • maintenance equipment, materials and external contracts;
  • hire of transport;
  • hospital car services: and
  • miscellaneous transport expenses.

Audit fees This is the total of fees paid or payable to the external auditor for the reporting year in respect of fees for auditing the annual accounts and returns.

Other auditors' remuneration This is the total of fees paid or payable to the external auditor for the reporting year in respect of fees for any work other than auditing the accounts and returns, e.g. fees for value for money reviews.

Other This is the total revenue expenditure of the trust not covered above. These include:

  • patients' travelling expenses;
  • redundancy costs;
  • expenditure related to contracts with security firms;
  • insurance payments other than car or property insurance; and
  • losses and special payments, net of related insurance proceeds.
There may be medical expenditure within this category but there is insufficient information to identify and exclude this.

Descriptions of the entries in the capital asset line are as follows:

Equipment—additions This represents the net book value of equipment assets acquired using both exchequer funds and from donations in the year. It also includes transfers from assets under construction where these have been completed in the year. Insufficient information is available to split the category into medical and non-medical equipment. This net book value does not equal the actual cash expenditure. Cash expenditure just on equipment is not available.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets were set for savings to be made in the purchase of non-medical supplies and equipment by NHS trusts in(a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000 to date. [112571]

Mr. Denham

National Health Service trusts were not set targets for savings in the purchase of non-medical supplies and equipment in 1997–98, 1998–99 or 1999–2000.

The NHS Supplies Authority has been set purchasing targets covering all areas it influences—medical and non-medical goods and services. Those targets and achievements are set out in the table:

£ million
Target Achievement
1997–98 175.6 104.2
1998–99 182.5 113.3
1999–2000 1111.0 2122.0
1 More than
2 To 31 January 2000

Source:

NHS Supplies Authority

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