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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what role the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust plays in consulting (a) other bodies and (b) members of the public when services are being reconfigured; and which organisations it is required to consult; [190771] (2) what role strategic health authorities play in moving services between hospitals within a trust; [190773] (3) what consultation process he requires to be followed when services are moved between hospitals under one hospital trust; [192283] (4) how a decision is made on what constitutes substantial change in hospital services; and who makes this decision. [192287] Miss Melanie Johnson: National health service organisations are required to consult when reconfiguring services. These duties are set out in sections 7 and 11 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001. Section 7 of the Act requires that if an NHS organisation is proposing to develop or vary services substantially, it must consult the overview and scrutiny committees of those local authorities whose residents are affected by the proposed changes. Section 11 requires NHS bodies to consult patients, the public and their representatives on changes to the operation of services irrespective of whether they are substantial changes. NHS organisations will need to discuss any proposals for service change with the relevant overview and scrutiny committees at an early stage, in order to agree whether or not the proposal is considered to be substantial. It is the decision of the overview and scrutiny committees to decide whether the proposal impacts substantially on their local residents. Any NHS trust, which plans to make changes to the operation of services for which it is responsible, must consult patients, the public and their representatives. If those proposals represent substantial changes, then the overview and scrutiny committees of those local authority areas that are affected by the proposed changes must also be considered. Strategic health authorities are responsible for ensuring strong, clinically robust services are in place, taking account of access, clinical viability, value for money and external views of best clinical practice. The primary care trusts and NHS trusts make the judgements about the shape and delivery of services to their local area.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

425 c794-5W; 190771;190773;192283;192287

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Hospitals Health services Location Lancashire Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk