§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to assess the(a) capital and (b) revenue requirements of hospitals within Portsmouth; and if he will make a statement; [125975]
(2) what decisions have been taken within the last 12 months to make extra (a) capital and (b) revenue money available to hospitals within Portsmouth; if he will list the (i) projects and (ii) sums of money involved and (iii) start dates; and if he will make a statement. [125976]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe main capital allocations to the national health service were announced on 8 January 2003. Since that date, an additional £240,000 has been allocated to Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust to fund reductions in waiting times for traditionally long-wait specialities. Information on the project timeline is not collected centrally.
We allocate revenue funding to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to 646W determine each primary care trust's target share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need.
It is for PCTs, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their revenue funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to help ensure that Queen Alexandra hospital, Portsmouth, is able to achieve the status of three-star foundation level within the next four years; and if he will make a statement. [125977]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe National Health Service Performance Ratings announced on 16 July 2003 reflect a significant improvement in performance made by Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, of which Queen Alexandra hospital is a part. The trust has improved from a zero-star rating to two-stars.
We are committed to raising performance right across the NHS, bringing all NHS trusts up to the standard of the best, and have therefore put in place an NHS Hospital Improvement Programme to ensure that every NHS hospital improves its performance and is able to become a NHS foundation trust. For 2003–04, the Government have made £1 billion of discretionary funding available to strategic health authorities to support performance improvement.