HC Deb 16 March 2004 vol 419 cc249-50W
Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the £100 million growth package referred to in his Department's press release of 4 March 2004 is being spent. [160346]

Ms Rosie Winterton

A capital growth scheme was launched in January 2004, which gives financial rewards to trusts providing better and faster access to emergency care. Trusts that deliver real, significant and sustained improvements will be able to access extra money to help them to carry on improving their services and facilities.

Details of the scheme are as follows: Acute national health service trusts can access a flat payment of up to £500,000 for faster progress to meeting the minimum operating standard of treating 98 per cent. of patients in accident and emergency departments within four hours; Ambulance services can access up to an average of £250,000 (payment weighted by size of trust) for responding to 75 per cent. of category A calls within eight minutes for three consecutive months. Mental health trusts which improve crisis access to mental health services will be able to access a flat £200,000 one-off payment.

Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 26 February 2004,Official Report, column 548W, on NHS budgets, what the £37 million will be spent on. [160456]

Mr. Hutton

£35.6 million of the estimated balance of £37 million has now been formally allocated to primary care trusts. Details are shown in the following table:

Centrally funded initiatives and services and special allocations Budget
Allocations made since 6 February 2004 (£)
ABC Project (Invest to Save) 50,000
Audiology Services 804,000
Cancer Network Support 426,000
Choice Programme 32,000
Commercial Director Feasibility Analysis 388,000
Dangerous People with Severe Personality Disorders 3,000
Distinction Awards 718,000
Drug Market Response Group(Invest to Save) 413,000
E-Harp (Invest to Save) 22,000
Equality and Ethnic Minority Health 110,000
Flu Vaccination Programme 12,780,000
GP Recruitment and Retention 199,000
High Security Psychiatric Services Central Element 450,000
National Clinical Governance Support Team 1,170,000
National Institute of Mental Health 40,000
Neo-Natal Intensive Care National Audit 200,000
NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service 22,000
NHS Pay Modernisation 1,445,000
Older People in the Community (Invest to Save) 116,000
Palliative Care 74,000
Premises Improvements 741,000
Prescribing training for Nurses, Pharmacists and other Health Professionals 10,000
Revascularisation 10,000
Schedule 5—Programme Budgeting 3,000
Securing Recombinant Clotting Factors 11,890,000
Service Improvement Teams 2,880,000
Strategic Management and Support 1,804,000
Waiting lists—Booked Admissions 450,000
Youth Services in Basset Law 52,000
Total 35,602,000