NHS Trusts (Hansard, 30 November 2001)

§ Dr. Evan Harris
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total annual(a) surplus and (b) deficit for each NHS trust in England in each year since 1997 for which figures are available. [13622]

§ Mr. Hutton
The information requested has been placed in the Library.

§ David Wright
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he gives to NHS trusts on ordering their priorities between waiting(a) lists and (b) times. [13463]

§ Mr. Hutton
In meeting both waiting list and times targets, the national health service has been advised that above all patients' clinical need and priority must come first. In July 1997, an executive letter (EL (97) 42) was issued to the NHS about access to secondary care services. It stated thatClinical priority must be the main determinant of when patients are seen as outpatients or admitted as inpatients.
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Since then, a significant amount of guidance from the Department has been given to the NHS on managing waiting lists and times targets. "Getting Patients Treated—The Waiting List Action Team Handbook" was issued to all NHS trust chief executives in August 1999 and provides detailed advice on how to monitor inpatient and outpatient waiting lists to ensure patients are treated in the right order.
Two reports specific to managing outpatient waiting lists were published jointly by the Department of Health and the NHS Modernisation Agency in November 1999 and July 2000 entitled "Variations in NHS Outpatient Performance". These reports contain practical actions that hospitals can take to reduce the time patients wait to see a consultant and to modernise outpatient services for the convenience of patients. Every hospital was instructed to take the actions set out in the reports.

Name of guidance issued Website address

Executive letter 1997–42 www.doh.gov.uk/publications/coinh.html

Getting Patients Treated—The Waiting List Action Team Handbook www.doh.gov.uk/wtactionteam.htm

Variations in NHS Outpatient Performance www.doh.gov.uk/pspp

Tackling Waiting Lists Together www.mfps.co.uk/toolkit.htm

Primary Targeting Lists Approach www.modernnhs.rihs.uk/npat/documents/

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the performance of NHS trusts in(a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 in meeting their responsibility to absorb the cost of capital at a rate of 6 per cent. of average relevant net assets. [16949]

§ Mr. Hutton
The provisional annual accounts for national health service trusts in 2000–01 show 247 NHS trusts met the 6 per cent. capital absorption duty. However, exclusion of shortfalls deemed immaterial (that is less than 0.5 per cent.) increases this figure to 339.
Information for 2001–02 will not be available until the NHS trust audited annual accounts are received in autumn of 2002.

Name of guidance issued	Website address
Executive letter 1997–42	www.doh.gov.uk/publications/coinh.html
Getting Patients Treated—The Waiting List Action Team Handbook	www.doh.gov.uk/wtactionteam.htm
Variations in NHS Outpatient Performance	www.doh.gov.uk/pspp
Tackling Waiting Lists Together	www.mfps.co.uk/toolkit.htm
Primary Targeting Lists Approach	www.modernnhs.rihs.uk/npat/documents/