§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the public-private partnership in the NHS in 2001. [25161]
§ Mr. HuttonFive major (more than £25 million in capital value) national health service hospital private finance initiative schemes worth a total of over £442 million and four medium (£10-25 million) sized schemes worth over £78 million completed construction and became operational during 2001.
400WA consortium was selected on 5 December 2001 to deliver a state-of the-art electronic staff record system to all NHS trusts in England and Wales—worth £325 million over 10 years. The consortium will deliver the new system to all NHS trusts in England and Wales.
Between April and September 2001 a total of 29,000 elective cases were commissioned in the independent sector under the framework of the concordat signed between the Department and the Independent Healthcare Association in October 2000.
Work is currently being undertaken on a national framework agreement to build longer term relationships between the NHS and the private sector with a view to doubling the number of NHS patients treated in private hospitals from the start of this new year.