Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Tuesday, 25 October 2005 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Better Healthcare Closer to Home Project

Question: The Minister may be aware that under the ““Better Healthcare Closer to Home”” proposals, the primary care trusts were to run local care hospitals. Following Sir Nigel Crisp's announcement, clearly that is no longer the case. Can the Minister say who will run those local care hospitals—perhaps a private company, a consortium of general practitioners or even the local authority? Can she also say what extra action she can take to reassure PCT employees who are—

Answer: We are talking about a £350 million investment in new and refurbished hospitals that will benefit the constituents of the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Tom Brake) with better, more modern health care services. His point about PCTs has already been answered by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. There is nothing I can say to add to it. He must listen to the answers he is given. It is interesting to hear the hon. Gentleman make this point, because decentralisation and the offer of additional charges to be levied for higher quality non-clinical services, paid by those willing to pay them, are precisely the policies on which his party fought the last election.

Secondary information