To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will establish a departmental inquiry into the use of funds by Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority and how the planned savings expected of its constituent organisations were determined. (79653)

The role of the Department is to ensure that strategic health authorities (SHAs) comply with the operating framework guidance published on 26 January 2006. Individual SHAs are responsible for the performance management of their national health service organisations and for ensuring that they achieve financial balance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were carried out in each NHS surgical centre within Gloucestershire, Avon and Wiltshire strategic health authority area in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by appropriate data field; and how many were carried out on the NHS in the private sector, broken down by appropriate data field. (80016)

There are two national health service treatment centres in Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic health authority (SHA); one is located in Weston and the other in Swindon. In 2005-06, the Weston area healthcare trust completed 1,621 first finished consultant episodes (FFCEs), and Marlborough NHS trust completed 4,354 FFCEs. In 2005-06, there were no independent sector treatment centres in this SHA.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 16 June 2006, Official Report, columns 1546-47W, on health care (Stroud), which primary care trusts and health trusts in the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority area are placed in which category of turnaround arrangement; and what effect placing in each category has on their expected contribution to that strategic health authority’s re-balancing of funding. (79691)

The turnaround assessment stage resulted in KPMG rating organisations as:

immediate priority, where there is the need for urgent intervention to drive turnaround;

additional expertise/resource needed to support the turnaround;

drive or focus—maintaining a high priority of actions; and

regular challenge of management, encouraging to share what works and deliver easy wins.

Organisations in the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wilshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) were placed in the following categories:

The categories were produced by KPMG after discussions with the local NHS in December 2005 and February 2006. They assist local management in prioritising turnaround work and do not lead to a specific contribution to the SHA’s financial plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to ensure that NHS trusts and primary care trusts in the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic health authority area which do not have deficits are not required to contribute financially to rectifying the deficits of other such trusts in the area. (80015)

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 8 June 2006, Official Report, column 835W.