§ Mr. ToddTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has given to health authorities on their allocation of resources to individual medical specialties. [160263]
§ Mr. DenhamTo enable health authorities to manage flexibly the totality of resources available to them, there is limited earmarking of funds within allocations. For 2001–02 the national health service plan implementation programme identified the following sums included in allocations with an intention that they be spent on the purpose for which they were allocated:
Priority £million Cancer and coronary heart disease 450 Waiting times and access 423 Intermediate care and community equipment 188 Information management and technology 113 These sums reflect national estimates of investment needed to deliver targets and milestones in implementing the NHS plan. They are intended as a guide for local health communities in ensuring that their own plans will meet these targets and milestones.
A copy of the NHS plan implementation programme will be placed in the Library.