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Primary Care Groups

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what instructions he has given to health authorities on the distribution of funding to (a) primary care groups and (b) primary care trusts for 2002–03; and what arrangements he is putting in place for the funding of primary care trusts from 2003 onwards. [30617]

Mr. Hutton: Health Service Circular 1998/171 set out the principles for health authorities to follow in setting primary care group and primary care trust allocations. For 2002–03 these principles continue to apply but are supplemented by additional guidance set out in HSC 2001/34, "Health Authority Revenue Resource Limits 2002–03". Copies of these documents have been placed in the Library.

From 2003–04, the intention is that allocations will be made direct to primary care trusts. This is subject to the passage of legislation through Parliament. Allocations will continue to be based on the principle of weighted capitation.

5 Feb 2002 : Column 932W

Epsom Hospital

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which postcodes are included in the catchment area for Epsom hospital's maternity unit; and how many patients came from each of those postcode areas in the last year for which information is available. [33706]

Mr. Hutton: For the year 2000–01 the following information was collected:

Postcodes within catchment area	Delivery episodes
CR5	20
KT11	85
KT17	199
KT18	171
KT19	329
KT20	172
KT21	107
KT22	208
KT23	60
KT4	103
SM2	46
SM7	142
Other postcodes (outside defined catchment)	249
Total	1,891

Note:

Postcodes listed fall wholly or partly within the catchment area, which is defined as that area for which Epsom general hospital was the designated district hospital prior to becoming a trust hospital in 1991.

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