§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of(a) the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health and (b) patients forums will be for each of the next three years. [171261]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe funding allocation for 2004–05 is £33.3 million and, subject to the outcomes of the review of arms length bodies, the planning assumptions for the next three years are that it should remain static.
It is the Commission's responsibility to ensure that within that settlement, forums are adequately funded to deliver their functions.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on(a) PHorum and (b) the Stakeholder Network, including their (i) remits, (ii) budget, (iii) administration budget, including payroll, (iv) number of staff and (v) capital assets. [163514]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe National Forum of Non-Governmental Public Health Organisations (NGO Forum) was established by the Department following
970W
In-patient waiting lists by provider Patients waiting for admission by month waiting Unit name Total 0–2 Not seen
3–5 Not seen
6–8 Not seen
9–11 Not seen
12–14 Not seen
15–17 Not seen
18+ Not seen
1996–97 Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 8,970 4,137 2,352 1,445 1,000 18 15 3 1996–97 Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust 1,857 1,079 463 249 66 0 0 — 1997–98 Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 8,500 4,079 1,969 1,334 787 257 74 0 1997–98 Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust 2,121 1,299 537 183 102 0 0 — 1998–99 Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 7,602 4,154 1,729 1,043 544 132 0 0 1998–99 Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust 2,051 1,126 527 248 132 17 1 — 1999–2000 Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 7,025 4,110 1,701 853 359 2 0 0 1999–2000 Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust 1,967 1,228 453 186 90 10 0 — the publication of the White Paper, 'Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation' (1999). After a review in 2002, it was renamed the 'National NGO PHorum'.
The PHorum's remit is:
to provide Government with expertise and advice in developing, implementing and delivering its public health policies for England;to facilitate an ongoing dialogue and discussion between the Government and the non-government sector, andto consider the effective involvement of NGOs in action to improve health and tackle health inequalities.It does not have a separate budget. It has no capital assets. It is managed by the Health Development Agency (HDA) from within the HDA's allocation, on behalf of the Department of Health. The HDA has one member of staff with specific responsibility for administrative work in support of the PHorum.
The Department is currently looking at the best way of relating to principal stakeholders as part of its overall change programme.