Clause 1 - NHS foundation trusts

Part of Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 10:30 am on 13 May 2003.

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Photo of Andrew Lansley Andrew Lansley Conservative, South Cambridgeshire 10:30, 13 May 2003

I support amendment No. 100. It seems necessary, and my right hon. Friend the Member for North-West Hampshire set out the argument very clearly, as did my other hon. Friends.

At the risk of antagonising Labour Members, when the Committee was constituted I considered the extent to which its members represented the hospitals that had to consider applying for NHS foundation trusts in order to resolve issues in practical terms. That is a practical example of the way in which a hospital would deliberate matters according to its own circumstances, as the Countess of Chester hospital would do, and reach a conclusion.

I approach the matter from that point of view. Two hospitals in my constituency, the Addenbrooke's NHS trust and the Papworth Hospital NHS trust, have applied for NHS foundation trust status. On the Government's side, I think that only the hon. Member for City of Chester has an applicant trust in her constituency. It seems to me desirable that the hon. Lady should be here to represent that applicant's point of view as we begin the discussion.