National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Bill
AMENDMENTS
TO BE MOVED
IN COMMITTEE
| | THE EARL HOWE
THE BARONESS NOAKES
THE LORD ASTOR OF HEVER |
| Page 2, leave out lines 31 to 44 |
| | THE EARL HOWE
THE BARONESS NOAKES
THE LORD ASTOR OF HEVER |
| Page 9, line 35, at end insert— |
| "( ) | From 1st April 2004 the total amounts paid to Primary Care Trusts in any financial year under subsection (1) above shall be not less than 75 per cent. of the total monies available to the Secretary of State for distribution to all NHS bodies for that year." |
| Page 10, line 7, leave out "may" and insert "must" |
| Page 10, line 8, leave out "it appears to him that" |
| Page 10, leave out lines 14 and 15 |
| Page 10, line 15, at end insert— |
| "( ) | A Primary Care Trust will be treated as having satisfied objectives or performed well against criteria if the Commission for Health Improvement has reported to that effect to the Secretary of State." |
| Page 10, leave out line 42 |
| | THE LORD ROBERTS OF CONWY
THE BARONESS HANHAM |
| Page 16, line 33, leave out "in such a manner as it thinks appropriate" and insert "equitably" |
| | THE EARL HOWE
THE BARONESS NOAKES
THE LORD ASTOR OF HEVER |
| Insert the following new Clause— |
| | It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State in carrying out his functions under the 1977 Act to ensure that so far as it is reasonable for him to do so, persons who receive services under the 1977 Act are given a choice as to the time, manner and location of those services." |
| Insert the following new Clause— |
| (1) | It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to achieve the following targets for patients— |
| (a) | no patient should wait more than 48 hours for an appointment to see a general practitioner; |
| (b) | no patient should wait longer than thirteen weeks from the time of referral from a general practitioner for a first appointment to be seen as an out-patient, |
| (c) | no patient should wait longer than six months from the time that he is first seen as an out-patient for the procedure or other treatment decided upon, |
| (d) | no patient should wait longer than one hour after arrival at an accident and emergency unit or similar unit before being seen by a doctor or a qualified nurse practitioner, and |
| (e) | no patient should wait longer than four hours for admittance to a hospital from an accident and emergency or similar unit after a decision has been made that he should be admitted to a hospital. |
| (2) | The Secretary of State may by order define how the targets set out in subsection (1) above are to be measured. |
| (3) | The Secretary of State may by order add to the targets set out in subsection (1) or alter those targets so that shorter times are specified. |
| (4) | The Secretary of State may by order set targets for shorter times than set out in subsection (1) above for defined categories of patients or services. |
| (5) | An order made under subsections (3) and (4) above shall not be made unless a draft of the order has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament." |
| Insert the following new Clause— |
| | "Compensation for target breach |
| (1) | The Secretary of State shall set up arrangements to ensure that patients are paid compensation for any target breach. |
| (2) | The Secretary of State shall by order prescribe the amount of compensation due in respect of any target breach. |
| (3) | Where the Secretary of State by order specifies additional targets under subsection (3) of section (Compensation scheme) he shall also specify in the order the amounts to be paid as compensation for target breach. |
| (4) | An order made under subsection (2) above shall not be made unless a draft of the order has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament. |
| (5) | A target breach for the purposes of this section occurs where a patient has waited longer than the times set out in— |
| (a) | subsection (1) of section (Compensation scheme) or such shorter times as have been specified by order for the targets referred to in that subsection, and |
| (b) | any order made in respect of additional targets made by order under subsection (3) of that section. |
| (6) | This section shall take effect from 1st April 2004, except for the targets set out in paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (1) of section (Compensation scheme) which shall take effect from 1st April 2003." |
| Insert the following new Clause— |
| (1) | The Secretary of State may delegate his duties under section (Compensation scheme) above to Strategic Health Authorities, Primary Care Trusts or to NHS Trusts. |
| (2) | If the Secretary of State has delegated his duties in accordance with subsection (1) above, he may also require the body to which he has delegated his duties to set up arrangements so that compensation for target breach is paid in line with that set out in section (Compensation for target breach) above." |
| Insert the following new Clause— |
| ( ) | In sections (Compensation scheme) and (Compensation for target breach) "patient" means a person who receives or should receive services under the 1977 Act." |
| | THE EARL HOWE
THE BARONESS NOAKES
THE LORD ASTOR OF HEVER
THE BARONESS HANHAM |
| Insert the following new Clause— |
| (1) | No member of a Patients' Forum may be appointed as a director of an NHS trust or a member of a Primary Care Trust to which the Patients' Forum relates unless that person has been recommended for appointment by the NHS Appointments Commission. |
| (2) | Where a member of a Patients' Forum is also a director of an NHS Trust or a member of a Primary Care Trust to which the Patients' Forum relates, his responsibilities as a director of the NHS Trust or member of the Primary Care Trust shall be the same as those of any other director or member of such trust." |
| | THE EARL HOWE
THE BARONESS NOAKES
THE LORD ASTOR OF HEVER |
| | The above-named Lords give notice of their intention to oppose the Question that Schedule 1 be the first Schedule to the Bill. |
|
