Oral Answers to Questions Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateLord Wilson of Sedgefield
Main Page: Lord Wilson of Sedgefield (Labour - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Wilson of Sedgefield's debates with the Department of Health and Social Care
(13 years, 10 months ago)
Commons ChamberI thank my hon. Friend for that question. He must be psychic, because I recently visited China, and it was fascinating to meet Ministers there. He will also be very pleased to hear, as I am sure the whole House will, that I visited a hospital and community centre that combines western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.
The coalition agreement states that public sector employees, including health care employees, will be given a new right to set up employee-led co-operatives to run services. Can the Minister detail how many NHS co-operatives have been established and how many employees are involved in them?
I will gladly write to the hon. Gentleman if my recollection is wrong, but I think that something in the order of 25,000 staff have been transferred into social enterprises since the election. That represents something like £900 million-worth of NHS activity across England.