National Health Service (Equity of Funding) Bill
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A
B I L L
TO
Set up an independent National Health Service Funding Advisory Body charged with ensuring an equitable formula for the funding of local health authorities.
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-
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| Establishment of National Health Service Funding Advisory Body. |
1. - (1) There shall be established a National Health Service Funding Advisory Body ("the advisory body"), whose function shall be to examine and report from time to time on the formula used by the Secretary of State for determining the distribution of National Health Service funding between health authorities ("the funding formula").
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(2) The body shall be appointed by the Prime Minister, after consulting the leaders of other political parties represented in the House of Commons and representatives of such bodies representing National Health Service providers, employees and users as he sees fit.
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(3) Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the constitution and proceedings of the advisory body.
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(4) When the advisory body commence an examination of the funding formula they shall give notice to any association, authority or other body representing National Health Service providers, employees or users and shall afford every such body a reasonable opportunity of submitting evidence.
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(5) In undertaking any examination of the funding formula and in framing their report and recommendations, the advisory body shall have regard to considerations of equity and to such social, economic, geographical, environmental, medical and epistemological factors as in their opinion are relevant.
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| Reports of the advisory body and subsequent action. |
2. - (1) A report of the advisory body shall contain their recommendations on the funding formula and such other advice relating to that matter as they think fit.
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(2) The advisory body shall send any report made by them under this section to the Prime Minister and to the Secretary of State and, upon receiving a report, the Secretary of State shall arrange for it to be published.
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(3) Following publication of a report of the advisory body, the Secretary of State may, after consulting those who submitted evidence to the advisory body and such others as he sees fit-
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(a) implement the recommendations of the advisory body, or |
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(b) where there are compelling reasons, decide not to implement the recommendations of the advisory body, or to implement them with modifications. |
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(4) Where under subsection (3) the Secretary of State decides not to implement the recommendations of the advisory body, or to implement them with modifications, he shall lay before Parliament a report giving his reasons.
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| Financial provisions. |
3. There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament any expenses of the Secretary of State under this Act.
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| Short title and commencement. |
4. - (1) This Act may be cited as the National Health Service (Equity of Funding) Act 1998.
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(2) This Act shall come into force on the day on which it is passed.
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