§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 21 January 2002,Official Report, column 671W, on Western General hospital, Swindon, what hospital equipment is purchased (a) centrally and (b) by each trust; what budgetary controls he exercises over equipment purchases for new hospitals; what recent discussion he has had with the trust responsible for the new Swindon hospital about equipment purchases; and if he will make a statement about the procedure used to purchase the equipment for the Western General hospital at Swindon. [31007]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 28 January 2002]: Equipment purchases are the responsibility of individual national health service trusts who are expected to obtain best value for money. The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency does however negotiate national contracts on behalf of the NHS where these contracts produce value for money and genuine savings. It is then up to each individual trust to purchase its own equipment according to its needs. The only recent example of centrally purchased equipment is that provided for cancer care funded from the New Opportunities Fund.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no discussions with Swindon and Marlborough NHS trust about equipment purchases. Approximately £8 million of public money has been made available for the purchase of equipment for the Great Western hospital, Swindon 285W by the Swindon and Marlborough NHS trust. The procurement procedure for the equipment is a matter for the trust.