(2) how many bids from primary care trusts to the fund for community hospitals announced by her Department in 2005 have been received, broken down by constituency.
To date 10 proposals from 10 primary care trusts (PCTs) have been received. Of these two have been withdrawn, one did not meet the criteria, three have outstanding queries which are being resolved and an announcement about the remaining four was made on 21 December. The funding allocated to these four schemes totals £44.5 million.
Scheme name PCT Constituencies Washington Primary Care Centre, Sunderland Sunderland Teaching PCT Sunderland, North Sunderland, South Houghton and Washington, East Gosport War Memorial Hospital Hampshire PCT Gosport Yate Community Health Centre South Gloucestershire PCT Northavon Kingswood West Somerset Healthy Living Park Somerset PCT Bridgwater Taunton
(2) how many of the 50 new community hospitals to be provided by her Department in 2005 have been built.
There is no target for the number of community hospitals we intend to fund. The intention is to utilise the £750 million capital investment fund announced last July to fund the development and refurbishment of as many community hospitals and facilities as possible. To date £44.5 million of this fund has been allocated to four schemes, details of which are provided as follows. Further schemes will be announced in the spring.
Scheme name Operational date Primary care trust (PCT) Constituencies Washington Primary Care Centre, Sunderland Spring 2008 Sunderland Teaching PCT Sunderland, North Sunderland, South Houghton and Washington, East Gosport War Memorial Hospital Phased from April 2007 Hampshire PCT Gosport Yate Community Health Centre Autumn 2008 South Gloucestershire PCT Northavon Kingswood West Somerset Healthy Living Park Autumn 2009 Somerset PCT Bridgwater Taunton