Clause 11 - Power of Secretary of State to give
Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill
10:45 am
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury, Conservative)
As the Minister will know, I have some first-hand experience of moneys being dished out to hospitals in trouble—or not being dished out to hospitals in trouble—as in the case of the Royal United hospital, Bath. I was somewhat surprised by the protective way in which the Minister has treated the public purse in respect of my local hospital. I am questioning the Minister because—given my experience and the experience that I suspect hospitals throughout the country have had—I am trying to get an idea of what circumstances the Minister can conceive of that would lead him to interfere in these new public benefit corporations to the extent of providing moneys from the public purse. How will that differ from the current arrangements, which, I have to say, work so poorly for my local hospital?