Clause 9
Health Bill [Lords]
2:15 pm
Mike O'Brien (Minister of State (Health Services), Department of Health; North Warwickshire, Labour)
Let us be clear about what is being proposed: regulations should be made to make provision
“as to the information technology that trusts will require to measure and report on quality in the quality accounts”.
If that is not top-down micro-management, I do not know what is. The Opposition have constantly said that they want to give trusts and NHS organisations greater freedom. They are not even in Government yet—if they ever will be—so should not try to get Whitehall and this House to dictate the information technology that trusts require to report quality accounts. They will use various kinds of information technology.
We need to ensure the good quality of the data provided. I agree with some points made by hon. Member for Eddisbury. The CQC will need to ensure that it can use its data for assessing the quality of what particular trusts provide. The hon. Gentleman says that some trusts are not providing the data now, but we have clearly said that we will use the data that are already provided by trusts to the CQC. Trusts are preparing for quality accounts, as they are already providing data to CQC, which is of precisely the kind that we envisage being used for the first set of quality accounts.
In a sense, we are not behind the curve, but well ahead of it. Therefore, there does not need to be any delay in the way in which quality accounts will develop in the course of the coming year. The data are broadly available. We know what we want to do, but we want to consult on the detail of how we will present it, how we will set out the regulations and the extent to which we want core data to be provided to the CQC and in quality accounts. That core data is one of the key issues—how much is core and how much is local? It is important that we get the balance right. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will accept that there is no need for that level of top-down micro-management, as proposed by the Conservative party. I am somewhat surprised that it has gone down that route. I did not expect it to, and I very much hope that, on reflection, it can think again about its top-down micro-management.