§ Baroness Noakesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What funding they intend to allocate in respect of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health and for patients' forums for 2002–03 and 2003–04; and what staffing assumptions have been made in respect of those bodies. [HL6086]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:For the remainder of this current financial year sufficient funding from an existing budget has been set aside for the establishment of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH). This funding includes running costs for the CPPIH for January until April.
It would be inappropriate to discuss detailed funding arrangements for patients' forums and the CPPIH for 2003–04 in anticipation of the final outcome of the current spending review.
The CPPIH's chair designate and her interim team, along with the Department of Health, are still considering potential structures for the organisation of and staffing levels for patients' forums. The level of funding available for the CPPIH and patients' forums will be a key determinant of this, so as yet nothing has been finalised. The assumptions assisting current discussions are around ensuring sufficient support for patients' forums members and effective delivery of the functions of both bodies.