Written question asked by Gareth Johnson (Conservative) on Tuesday, 2 November 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 4 November 2010. It was answered by Simon Burns (Conservative) on Monday, 8 November 2010 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Darent Valley Hospital: Finance

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2010, Official Report, column 762W, on winter pressures: NHS, what resources he plans to allocate to Darent Valley hospital for patients in the winter of 2010-11 who would otherwise have been treated at the accident and emergency department of Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup.

Answer: There are no plans to allocate extra resources to Darent Valley hospital for this purpose, as, under the Payment by Results system, hospitals are paid by commissioners for all activity within the scope of the national tariff, adjusted by the Market Forces Factor to take account of unavoidable local cost differences. As tariff payments follow the patient, an increase in activity at Darent Valley hospital would result in it attracting tariff payments that it otherwise would not have received had those patients been treated elsewhere.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 22491; 518 c140W
Session: 2010-12
Related items: NHS: Winter Pressures
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects: Finance Darent Valley Hospital
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk