Clause 4 - Liability to make delayed discharge payments
Community Care (Delayed Discharge etc.) Bill
6:15 pm
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford, Conservative)
I accept the logic of what the hon. Gentleman says, but he is somewhat missing the point. To plough the money back into the acute trust is a negative procedure, especially if that trust does not provide the best practice. The system of taking money from social services and giving it to the health service in such a manner is wrong and flawed; however, if the Government have their way they will get the system.
Let us try to make a virtue of a rotten system and give the money to the PCTs, as a spur and incentive to improve and enhance the system. Then they can use their power as commissioners of services to seek to enhance and improve the provisions and practice of acute hospitals. That will benefit patients, as they will be using the money to commission care.