§ Mr. Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding will be made available to rural hospitals across the new strategic health authorities. [67617]
§ Mr. HuttonWe currently allocate funding to health authorities, and they allocate funding to primary care trusts, on the basis of the relative needs of their populations.
It is for health authorities in partnership with primary care trusts and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.
In future the intention is that allocations will be made direct to primary care trusts. Primary care trusts will then purchase appropriate services to meet the needs of their local populations, which may include services from rural hospitals.