Written question asked by Peter Luff (Conservative) on Wednesday, 5 July 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 July 2006. It was answered by Caroline Flint (Labour) on Thursday, 13 July 2006 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Community Hospitals

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her statement on community hospitals on 5 July 2006, Official Report, columns 816-32, with particular reference to the presumption against taking decisions in response to short-term budgetary pressures, if she will ask the West Midlands strategic health authority to ensure that proposals from the South Worcester primary care trust to close palliative care beds at Evesham community hospitals are withdrawn.

Answer: The configuration of local health care services in a particular area requires local decision-making. Primary care trusts, are best placed to make those decisions in consultation with local people and their strategic health authorities (SHAs).SHAs should assure themselves that proposals for changes to community hospitals are consistent with the long-term strategy of the White Paper, ““Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services””.

Secondary information