§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when decisions were taken to(a) establish the Newcastle Acute Services Review, (b) replace the present Northern Centre for Cancer Treatment, Newcastle and (c) replace the present Hunters Moor Hospital, Newcastle; when the outline business cases were submitted for (b) and (c); and when he will invite bids for the work. [157015]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Newcastle strategic review (NSR), as a strategy, was approved by Ministers in December 1993. The first support to its capital investment implications commenced in 1995, with the start of an allocation of £8.4 million of "fast track" capital to commence movement of acute services off the Newcastle General Hospital site. Confirmation of the support to larger scale capital investment was provided by the approval of the second wave strategic outline case (SOC) in April 1998, revisions to which were approved in September 1999.
The 1993 NSR strategy document did not include provision for the relocation of the northern centre for cancer treatment (NCCT) from the Newcastle General Hospital site. It became subsequently apparent as acute services were relocated off the Newcastle General Hospital site that the NCCT would become increasingly isolated from access to surgery, medicine, anaesthetics, critical care and other clinical services. Consequently, the subsequent SOC (approved in April 1998) included the reprovision of the NCCT on the Freeman Hospital site.
Public consultation was undertaken during Summer 2000 on the reconfiguration of neuro-disability services for the northern part of the region. In September 2000 Newcastle and North Tyneside health authority supported the option to reprovide the services including those currently provided at Hunters Moor Hospital with new facilities on the Walkergate Hospital site.
The business cases for the main elements of the NSR (which includes reprovision of the NCCT) were received on 14 February 2001. The date for when bids for the work will be sought is dependent on the completion of the refinement of the outline business cases, which is now being undertaken by the trust and health authority.
Although a business case for the development at Walkergate is in preparation, a definitive version has not yet been submitted to the regional office of the National Health Service Executive for approval. Consequently it is not yet possible to say when bids for this scheme will be invited.