Armed Forces: Health Services

Willie Rennie
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many patients have received treatment under his Department’s contract with the Priory Group in each year of its operation; and what the cost of the contract has been in each such year.

Mr. Kevan Jones
The information requested, up until 31 March 2009, can be found in the following table.

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|                                |Number of patients treated|Contract value (£ million)|
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|1 December 2003 to 31 March 2004|58                        |0.4                       |
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|1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005   |321                       |4.2                       |
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|1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006   |351                       |4.5                       |
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|1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007   |305                       |3.4                       |
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|1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008   |289                       |3.9                       |
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|1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009   |284                       |3.3                       |
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These figures take into account the cost of assessing patients as well as any treatment programmes provided; the individual care needs of each patient will vary depending on their particular medical circumstances. They also include services provided by the Priory Group between 1 December 2003 and April 2004 prior to the formal contract start date.

The contract with the Priory Group has been replaced by a new one, awarded in November 2008 following open competition, with a partnership of seven NHS trusts led by South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust. This ensures coverage across the country, and complements the community-based approach we follow for our out-patients who are seen at our regional military mental health centres.