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Wessex Regional Health Authority

Swindon Health Authority

East Wiltshire Health Care

Swindon and Marlborough

Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Health Authority

Portsmouth Health Care

Salisbury Health Authority

Salisbury Health Care

Winchester Health Authority

Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare.

South Western Regional Health Authority

Plymouth and Torbay Health Authority

Plymouth Hospitals

Northern Regional Health Authority

South Durham Health Authority

Bishop Auckland Hospitals

Darlington Memorial Hospital

South Durham Healthcare

East Cumbria Health Authority

Carlisle Hospitals

North Lakeland Healthcare

Northumberland Health Authority

Cheviot and Wansbeck

Northumberland Community Health

Sunderland Health Authority

City Hospitals Sunderland

Priority Healthcare Wearside

North Durham Health Authority

North Durham Acute Hospitals

Community Health Care, North Durham

Hartlepool Health Authority

Hartlepool Community Care

Hartlepool and Peterlee Hospitals

North Tyneside Health Authority

North Tyneside Health Care

Trent Regional Health Authority

Southern Derbyshire Health Authority

Derbyshire Ambulance Service

Derbyshire Royal Infirmary

North Nottinghamshire Health Authority

The King's Mill Centre for Health Care Services

Leicestershire Health Authority

Leicestershire Ambulance and Paramedic Service

Leicestershire Mental Health Service

North Lincolnshire Health Authority

Lincoln District Healthcare

Lincoln Hospitals

Louth and District Healthcare

North Derbyshire Health Authority

Community Health Care Service (North Derbyshire)

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Nottingham Health Authority

Nottingham Healthcare

South Lincolnshire Health Authority

Pilgrim Health

Sheffield Health Authority

Community Health Sheffield

Yorkshire Regional Health Authority

West Yorkshire Health Authority

Dewsbury Health Care

East Riding Health Authority

East Yorkshire Community Healthcare

Hull and Holderness Community Health

North Western Regional Health Authority

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Authority Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care

CommuniCare

Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde Health Authority

Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services

Blackpool Victoria Hospital

Bolton Health Authority

Community Healthcare Bolton

Bolton Hospitals

Bury Health Authority

Bury Health Care

Greater Manchester Ambulance Service

North Manchester Health Authority

North Manchester Healthcare

Preston Health Authority

Guild Community Healthcare

Preston Acute Hospitals

Lancashire Ambulance Service

Salford Health Authority

Mental Health Services of Salford

Salford Community Health Care

Stockport Health Authority

Stockport Healthcare

Stockport Acute Services

Tameside and Glossop Health Authority

Tameside and Glossop Acute Services

Tameside and Glossop Community and Priority Services

Mersey Regional Health Authority

Chester Health Authority

West Cheshire

Wirral Health Authority

Wirral Community Healthcare

Birmingham Heartlands Hospital is to be reconfigured without the requirement to dissolve the existing Trust under guidance issued in TEL(93)1, copies of which are available in Library. Since this is a minor reconfiguration no additional allocations have been made for conveyancing or expenditure incurred during "shadow period". Therefore, an additional allocation of only £13,000 has been made in respect of this Trust to cover the costs of the public consultation exercise.

Both these successful applications are existing trusts reconfiguring with directly managed units. Although the costs of public consultation and conveyancing are covered the applicants are only eligible for half of the allocation made to cover

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expenditure incurred during the shadow period. Therefore, additional allocations of only £147,000 have been made in respect of these two applications.

Perioperative Deaths

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to conduct an inquiry into the number and causes of perioperative death of patients ; if she will estimate the numbers so dying in each of the last five years ; and if she will list the numbers preventable in each of the last five years and the broad preventable causes of death.

Mr. Sackville : The Department of Health already supports the national confidential inquiry into perioperative deaths. Information on the number of people who die following surgery is not available centrally. A table on trends in "avoidable" deaths, 1979-92, for a selected number of conditions is contained in "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics 1992", copies of which are available in the Library. While it would not be possible to prevent every death deemed to be "avoidable", it is expected that a substantial proportion could be prevented.

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the findings of the NCEPOD report on the confidential inquiry into perioperative death.

Mr. Sackville : The national confidential inquiry into perioperative deaths--NCEPOD--is an important study for patients and the National Health Service. It provides valuable reassurance about the quality of surgical and anaesthetic care. We welcome the inquiry's conclusion that across the range of specialties covered, patients can rely on excellent standards. Some of the problems identified in previous reports, such as the percentage of consultants involved in decisions on patient care, are improving. There is, however, room for further improvement. For example there is scope for clinicians and local managers in some areas to work together to improve operating facilities. The report also identifies issues for the medical profession which can improve standards of professional practice, such as in the prevention of pulmonary embolism and in the control of fluids in elderly patients.

Through careful assessment of clinical standards, this inquiry helps to ensure that the medical profession retains a critical approach to its work. The Government wish to encourage all surgeons and anaesthetists to continue to support NCEPOD, and NHS managers and the profession to act on the results. We expect all doctors to participate in peer review activities, and we provide continuing financial support for medical and clinical audit, as well as for NCEPOD. In these ways, doctors can develop confidence in their clinical performance and identify areas where they can further develop their expertise.

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to require contractors to write into contracts a confidential inquiry into perioperative death data requirement.

Mr. Sackville : It is for individual health authorities to establish local health needs and on that basis determine what they include in their contracts.

Junior Doctors

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to ensure that her targets for the reduction of junior doctors' hours are reached.

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Dr. Mawhinney : Our targets for reducing junior doctors' hours are set out in "Junior Doctors : The New Deal", copies of which are available in the Library. It is for local units to develop plans to achieve these targets, but regional task forces support local action, monitor progress and report regularly to the National Health Service Management Executive.

We are also providing an extra £12.2 million from central funds this year to establish a further 125 consultant posts targeted to reduce hours and for other local initiatives to promote the new deal. This is in addition to the £24.8 million we are spending this year to support action begun in the past two years.

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