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Greater Manchester Brain Injury Vocational Centre
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What monitoring has been carried out by statutory agencies of the continuing provision made for people benefiting from vocational rehabilitation training provided by the Rehab UK Greater Manchester Brain Injury Centre after the centre was forced to close; and[HL886]
What study has been made of subsequent provisions for trainees at the Rehab UK Greater Manchester Brain Injury Centre who had not completed their full courses at the time of its closure; and at what cost to public funds in each case.[HL887]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The statutory agencies across Greater Manchester have not undertaken any formal monitoring in relation to those individuals who used the services of the Rehab UK Greater Manchester Brain Injury Vocational Centre prior to its closure. The emphasis continues to be one of meeting individuals assessed needs, and this is managed by individual councils in partnership with National Health Service colleagues and providers as appropriate to individual needs.
There has been no study of subsequent service provision for former users of the Manchester service. However, there have been some instances where former service users have needed some additional support in helping them return to employment. In those cases, funding was made available for placements at other providers in the Greater Manchester area.
NHS Foundation Trusts
Lord McColl of Dulwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- If a National Health Service foundation trust was unable to satisfy the independent regulator that the proceeds from the disposal of an asset would not be used to further the trust's public interest mandate, what mechanism would be used to remove the proceeds from the trust.[HL665]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: An NHS foundation trust will be required to satisfy the independent regulator that proceeds from disposal of assets would be used to further its public interest mandate.
Lord McColl of Dulwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether a National Health Service foundation trust will be free to enter into complex financial instruments such as hedging contracts, swaps and other derivative products; and, if not, how any restrictions will be effected.[HL666]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: NHS foundation trusts will have freedom over the way they conduct their finances, subject to the requirements of their licence and their primary purpose of providing health services for the benefit of NHS patients and the community.
Lord McColl of Dulwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the financial duties for National Health Service foundation trusts will include the requirement to achieve a rate of return on assets.[HL667]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The financial duties of NHS foundation trusts will be set out in forthcoming legislation.
Lord McColl of Dulwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether a National Health Service foundation trust is required to charge standard tariffs for all of its activity; and, if so, how it can thereby achieve increases in the range and volume of services delivered to National Health Service patients, given that those services must also be charged at a standard tariff.[HL668]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The position is set out in paragraphs 5.6–5.12 and 5.25–5.29 of A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts.
Lord McColl of Dulwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether a National Health Service foundation trust would be able to carry out any work for National Health Service patients without charge.[HL669]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: NHS foundation trusts will provide services that are free at the point of use according to clinical need, not the ability to pay.
Lord McColl of Dulwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether a National Health Service foundation trust will be free to invest surplus financial assets as it wishes.[HL670]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The position is explained in paragraph 3.5 of A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts. Details will be set out in forthcoming legislation.
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether National Health Service foundation trusts will be able to carry out work for private patients through the medium of (a) subsidiary companies or (b) public private partnership arrangements.[HL671]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Subject to compliance with licence conditions explained in paragraph 3.14–3.15 of A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts, NHS foundation trusts will be able to carry out work for private patients through a range of corporate arrangements.
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How the strict limits on the provision by National Health Service foundation hospitals of services to private patients as referred to in paragraph 3.4 of A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts will be defined; and whether those limits will be fixed for all time or whether it would be possible for a National Health Service foundation hospital to apply for a revision to the limits.[HL672]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The position is set out in paragraph 3.15 of A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts. The limit will not be subject to revision. Details will be included in forthcoming legislation.
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have estimated the costs of setting up an independent regulator for National Health Service foundation trusts; and, if so, whether they will publish their estimates.[HL673]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Costs will depend on the roles and responsibilities of the independent regulator, which will be set out in forthcoming legislation, and on the number of NHS foundation trusts.
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they propose that the independent regulator's decision on matters relating to National Health Service foundation trusts will be absolute or whether any appeal mechanisms will be set up.[HL674]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Arrangements will be set out in forthcoming legislation.
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In what ways the independent regulator for National Health Service foundation trusts will be independent of the Secretary of State for Health.[HL676]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The independent regulator will not be subject to direction by the Secretary of State for Health.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether National Health Service foundation trusts will be classified to the public sector or the private sector in the national accounts.[HL679]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: This is a matter for the Office for National Statistics.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What criteria they use for determining whether an organisation is a part of the National Health Service.[HL681]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: NHS services are provided by a mix of public and private sector organisations. The service provided for NHS patients must be free at the point of use and provided according to clinical need, not ability to pay.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether it is possible for a National Health Service foundation trust to be classified to the private sector in the national accounts and also be treated as a part of the National Health Service; and, if so, whether any other private sector organisations could be treated as part of the National Health Service.[HL682]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Classification in the national accounts is a matter for the Office for National Statistics.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they will publish the prudential code referred to in paragraph 5.17 of A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts.[HL683]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The position is set out in paragraph 3.17 of A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts.
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will explain what suitable comfort means in relation to private finance initiative schemes for National Health Service foundation trusts as mentioned in paragraph 5.22 of A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts.[HL688]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: For NHS trusts with existing PFI projects, suitable comfort means that legislation introducing NHS foundation trusts must not affect any new NHS foundation trust's ability to meet its obligations under its PFI contract. Legislation will also ensure that NHS foundation trusts, once created, will be able to sponsor their own PFI projects using the same legislative framework as NHS trusts.
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What would be the consequences for a National Health Service foundation trust of its borrowing limit being reduced as part of its annual review if the reduced limit exceeded (a) its actual borrowings at that time; or (b) its expected borrowings in the light of existing commitments to revenue or capital expenditure.[HL690]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: If the reduced limit exceeded its actual or expected borrowing then the NHS foundation trust would still be within its prudential borrowing limit.
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