§ Mrs. CaltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 1 July 2003,Official Report, column 232W, on knee and hip joints, what auditing procedures are in place for charges made to NHS and private patients for the parts used in knee and hip joint replacement operations. [124879]
§ Mr. HuttonAll national health service trusts are required to have in place financial management and audit arrangements. These aim to ensure that private patients are correctly charged for the goods and services they receive, including prostheses used in hip and knee replacements. NHS patients are not charged for their treatment or for the prostheses.