§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there has been any change in the policy of the Department of Health, as stated by Baroness Hayman on 27 January 1999 (HL Deb, col. 1009) that "we do not believe that it is proper to withdraw treatment in the midst of a course" where funding for treatment outside the National Health Service has been provided by a health authority; and whether the responsibility for funding treatment for individual patients will pass automatically from health authorities to primary care trusts. [HL3895]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)We continue to support the statement made by Baroness Hayman. Funding for treatment secured outside the National Health Service should not normally be discontinued in the midst of a course unless commissioners can secure a clinically appropriate alternative or it is agreed that a treatment is no longer clinically beneficial. Primary care trusts have the freedom to commission locally relevant high quality services for their populations from outside the NHS. Such decisions should be made on the basis of the healthcare needs of the local community and should take account of both clinical and cost effectiveness. With the shift in the balance to the frontline, primary care trusts will become responsible for the delivery of the vast majority of former health authority functions and the totality of care for the populations they serve (subject to legislation). We have allocated funding to health authorities for 2002–03 and they in turn have allocated funding to primary care trusts on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. In future the intention is that funding allocations will be made direct to primary care trusts in line with their enhanced responsibilities.