§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what arrangements his Department is making to avoid confusion in the new payment system for free nursing care where PCT and social services boundaries are not coterminous; [82832]
(2) what assessment he has made of the transactional costs between PCTs and social services arising from the new payment system for free nursing care (a) by NHS Region and (b) for England. [82833]
§ Jacqui Smith.Circular HSC 2001/17: LAC(2001)26 contains guidance on the respective responsibilities of the national health service and local authorities on NHS funded nursing care. Further supplementary guidance on the arrangements from April 2003 will be published shortly. This will emphasise the need to ensure that transactional costs are kept to a minimum.
The level of funding that will be available to primary care trusts in England for 2003–04, including the amounts needed for administration, are currently under consideration and will be announced in due course.