§ Mr. George OsborneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information on standards of patient care the NHS requires from private sector hospitals carrying out operations on behalf of the NHS. [30855]
§ Mr. HuttonThere are two important safeguards in place.
First, from 1 April 2002 the National Care Standards Commission will take over from health authorities the regulation of private health care services, including private hospitals. For the first time they will be required to comply with regulations and meet national minimum standards. Also for the first time, owners, managers and others registered as being responsible for the day-to-day running of the hospital will be held responsible for the quality of care and treatment provided.
Second, national health service commissioners are responsible for ensuring that all services and treatment provided for patients are high quality. Patients receiving treatment in private hospitals paid for by the NHS remain NHS patients. Therefore, when commissioning treatment from the independent sector, NHS commissioners must be satisfied that the treatment will be of a high standard, for example, by paper evidence of performance and visits. Quality requirements can also be set out in contracts between the NHS and the independent sector.