NHS: Clinical Commissioning Groups

Baroness Masham of Ilton Excerpts

Wednesday 27th November 2013 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, age is and has always been, in the formula, the primary driver of an individual’s need for health services. The very young and elderly, whose populations are not evenly distributed throughout the country, tend to make more use of health services than the rest of the population. Having said that, the formula contains elements relating to unavoidable differences in the costs of providing services due to location alone—that is, the market forces factor—and a number of other measures of adjustment. As I say, we are assured by NHS England that deprivation will feature in the formula that is published for next year.

[Baroness Masham of Ilton (CB)]

My Lords, is the noble Earl aware that in Yorkshire, many of the hospitals which are PFI are very seriously in debt? Is there not a rumour that the poorer north will have its money taken to the richer south?