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20 Jan 2006 : Column 1674W—continued
NHS Direct
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has (a) to restructure NHS Direct and (b) to close NHS Direct call centres; and if she will make a statement. [31649]
Mr. Byrne: NHS Direct is within the ambit of the Department's review of arm's length bodies (ALBs), announced in July 2004 by the Secretary of State. As part of the review we are committed to work with NHS Direct to establish it as a body outside the ALB sector with an appropriate governance structure.
There are no plans to close or reconfigure NHS Direct call centres as part of that review. However, the NHS Direct Special Health Authority is responsible for delivering the best possible service for patients and value for money for commissioners. Discharging this duty may from time to time involve reconfiguring the call centre network. Where NHS Direct considers any such changes necessary, its proposals would be subject to the normal consultation with staff, trade unions, commissioners and other stakeholders. The Department does not routinely hold details of these operational matters and my hon. Friend may wish to contact the chair of the NHS Direct Special Health Authority for further information.
NHS Finance Data
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written statement of 1 December 2005, Official Report, column 37WS, on NHS finance data, what discussions she has had with Monitor regarding the publication of the year-end forecasts for NHS foundation trusts. [39314]
Mr. Byrne:
National health service foundation trusts (NHSFTs) are required by statute to submit forward planning information to Monitor, the statutory name of which is the independent regulator of NHSFTs, who is accountable to Parliament. I have been advised by the chairman of Monitor that the annual plans for 2005–06 for each of the 32 NHSFTs were submitted to Monitor earlier this year and are publicly available on Monitor's website at: www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk
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NHS Sites
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the estimated 100 surplus NHS sites announced by her Department on 7 April 2004 have been transferred to the responsibility of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. [42429]
Jane Kennedy: As part of an agreement between the Department and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, ownership of 67 surplus properties owned by the Secretary of State for Health transferred to English Partnerships on 6 April 2005. A further 14 are programmed to transfer by 31 March 2006 with the balance in 2006–07.
NHS Trusts (Mergers)
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she takes into account when deciding whether to approve mergers of NHS trusts; and by whom that information is provided. [42493]
Mr. Byrne
[holding answer 16 January 2006]: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are responsible for putting proposals to Ministers on merging national health service trusts. Before they do so, SHAs must be satisfied that any reconfiguration and resulting service integration proposals within an area fit with the longer-term viability of the NHS trust. This will include ensuring a robust risk analysis around activity, costs and income is consistent with the direction of modern health care delivery. This will incorporate the reduction of health inequalities, be clinically led and supported and be subject to full statutory public consultation.
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NHS Turnaround Teams
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much her Department has spent to date on NHS turnaround teams in each NHS trust; and if she will make a statement; [43458]
(2) how much money contained in the departmental budget reflected by the latest departmental winter supplementary estimate 2005–06 will be allocated for financial turnaround teams working with NHS trusts; and if she will make a statement. [43459]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 19 January 2006]: The winter supplementary estimates for the Department were presented to Parliament on 17 November 2005 as part of the central government supply estimates procedures. The estimate did not specifically refer to financial turnaround teams. Planned expenditure for these teams is part of this expenditure.
The contract for the initial assessment part of the turnaround teamwork was for the complete assessment and was not broken down by organisation. The amount of the contract is to be treated as commercial in confidence.
NHS-funded Operations
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS-funded operations have been commissioned from the private healthcare sector in the last five years for patients living in (a) Leeds, (b) each strategic health authority area and (c) England, broken down by specialty. [18915]
Mr. Byrne: Information on the number of operations commissioned centrally from the independent sector for national health service patients nationally and by strategic health authority is shown in the table. Information is not available by area of residence or relating to operations commissioned locally.
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