To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the likely percentage of out-patients in (a) musculoskeletal (orthopaedics and rheumatology), (b) general surgery, (c) ear, nose and throat, (d) gynaecology and (e) urology who will be referred to clinical and assessment treatment support services in Lancashire and Cumbria in each of the next three years. (104681)

The information requested is not held centrally. It is the responsibility of NHS North West which includes the former Cumbria and Lancashire strategic health authority area, to plan surgical capacity, and develop the requirement for the independent sector services across Cumbria and Lancashire.

The Department has carried out capacity mapping analyses of the proposed scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether sites have been identified in Lancashire and Cumbria for the location of clinical and assessment treatment support services. (104682)

Netcare in consultation with the Department, NHS North West and local primary care trusts has proposed the following sites for the clinical assessment and treatment service:

Preston Healthport;

Workington Community Hospital;

Ulverston Community Health Centre;

Ormskirk and District General Hospital;

The Beardwood Hospital, Blackburn;

The Burnley LIFT Centre;

Fleetwood Community Hospital; and

Hill Top Heights, Carlisle.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether GPs are required to refer a specific percentage of patients to the independent sector clinical and assessment treatment support services rather than to NHS secondary care providers. (104684)

General practitioners are not required to refer patients to a particular service provider, but are expected to help patients decide on the best treatment option for them. Guidance on referral management centres and other similar arrangements was set out in the commissioning framework published on 13 July 2006.