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NHS Trusts: Billing

Volume 486: debated on Monday 12 January 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health trusts have not met the 10 day invoice payment target to small and medium-sized enterprises. (246105)

We do not currently collect such performance data because no specific requirement has yet been placed on national health service bodies to meet a 10 day target.

However, David Nicholson, NHS Chief Executive, wrote to all NHS Trust Chief Executives on 21 October 2008 asking them to examine and review existing payment practices and payment performance and to move as closely as possible to the 10-day payment commitment that has been set for Government Departments wherever practical. Bill Moyes, Executive Chair, Monitor, has written similarly to all Foundation Trusts.

NHS prompt payment performance against the 30 day payment target is reported in annual accounts. The 2007-08 accounts for NHS Trusts recorded an 83 per cent. achievement against the 30 day payment target for non-NHS payments.