§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what safeguards are in place to maintain standards for waiting times and other services for patients of the host hospital trust when two trusts enter into a contractual agreement for services. [52236]
§ Mr. HuttonThe NHS Plan clearly sets out the waiting times standards for both in-patients and out-patients and the staged improvements to be made each year. It is the responsibility of commissioners, including national health service trusts, to ensure that any contractual agreements entered into meet the extant waiting time standards set out in the NHS Plan.
The Department regularly collects data from the NHS to monitor progress and achievement towards the NHS Plan targets.