Clause 10 - Expenditure of NHS Bodies
NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Bill
4:45 pm
Mr John Hutton (Minister of State, Department of Health; Barrow and Furness, Labour)
Schedule 12A of the National Health Service Act 1977 defines the expenditure of health authorities and primary care trusts. It also provides health authorities with the authority to apportion drug costs to primary care trusts. Clause 10 will amend schedule 12A so that PCT expenditure mirrors that of the current health authorities and will give the Secretary of State the authority to apportion drug costs between the PCTs. He must have that function because the resources will pass directly from him to the PCTs. There is no longer any residual role for the health authorities in that process because of the way in which the transfer of resources will be carried out in the NHS. The clause also allows the existing health authority position to be preserved in Wales and defines expenditure for local health boards.