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Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether there will be any age criteria for membership of a National Health Service foundation trust.[HL745]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The criteria for membership are set out in paragraph 2.6 of A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts.
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have calculated the potential membership communities for National Health Service foundation hospitals in London and other large urban areas; and, if so, whether they will publish those estimates.[HL746]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The membership community will vary across NHS foundation trusts, and it will be up to each applicant to set out boundaries on the basis of minimum criteria to be set out in forthcoming legislation.
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have estimated the costs for a National Health Service foundation trust of setting up and administering on an ongoing basis a membership register on different assumptions about the size of membership communities; and, if so, whether they will publish those estimates.[HL747]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department of Health will work with second stage applicants to prepare for formal establishment, including practical support to develop the new governance arrangements.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether foreign nationals may become members of National Health Service foundation trusts.[HL780]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Subject to legislation, membership will be open to anyone who meets the criteria set by an NHS foundation trust (see paragraph 2.6 of A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts).
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the statement by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 11 December (HL Deb, col. 268), what is meant by National Health Service foundation trusts "poaching" staff; who would decide whether "poaching" had taken place; and what sanctions would be exercised and by whom in the event that "poaching" were deemed to have taken place.[HL781]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Like NHS trusts, NHS foundation trusts will be bound by a statutory duty of partnership. Unfairly competing for staff in the local area could potentially be regarded as a breach of the duty and therefore subject to intervention by the independent regulator.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether boards of governors of National Health Service foundation trusts will be able to take independent advice on matters which include the requirement to advise the management board on the trust's forward plans as set out in paragraph 1.26 of A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts.[HL783]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: It is for the board of governors of each NHS foundation trust to determine what advice it requires in order to carry out its responsibilities. Any provison for allocation of resources to the board of governors will be determined by the NHS foundation trust's constitution.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether boards of governors of a National Health Service foundation trust will be able to
- remove any of the members of a management board; and, if so, on what criteria and through what process.[HL784]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: New legislation will set out the provisions for both appointment and dismissal of members of the management board.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the council referred to in paragraph 2.22 of A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts.[HL785]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The term "council" should read "board of governors".
NHS: Patient Environment
Lord Williams of Elvel asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to improve the patient environment.[HL1047]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: In our 1997 manifesto, we promised to end mixed-sex accommodation in National Health Service hospitals. In February 1998, we set a target for the achievement of three objectives which were designed to deliver separate sleeping areas, separate toilet and washing facilities and safe facilities for the mentally ill. Our target was that 95 per cent of trusts would meet these new standards by December 2002.
We have exceeded the target to provide good standards of privacy and dignity, ensuring single-sex sleeping accommodation and robust operational policies which protect patients' privacy and dignity in 98 per cent of NHS trusts.
We have met the target set to ensure the safety of people who are mentally ill—95 per cent of NHS trusts meet additional criteria set for this patient group, offering for example day rooms which are "off limits" to both patients and visitors of the opposite sex.
The target to provide separate toilet and washing facilities for men and women will be met by the end of March. Progress to date means that 93 per cent of NHS trusts provide properly segregated bathroom and toilet facilities for men and women. A further two per cent of NHS trusts have works under way to deliver the required standard, affecting just 32 wards, which will be completed by the end of March.
Over 98 per cent of NHS wards meet our guidelines. As there are approximately 10,000 wards currently in use across the NHS, this is a significant achievement. New hospitals and hospital facilities currently being built will bring the remaining wards to the necessary standard.
This has been a particularly challenging target, which the NHS has met with enthusiasm and fervour. Meeting the target has taken time, energy and commitment from a wide range of professionals. The extremely high level of compliance achieved is a testament to their hard work and commitment to the interests of NHS patients.
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