NHS: Budget

Baroness Barker Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd June 2010 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, the noble Lord, with his knowledge of London, speaks with great authority and he will know that reconfiguration is high on the agenda in London. Efficiencies can be created, but we want to see local buy-in to those changes rather than any top-down prescription. On his second point, we are keen on the split between the commissioning and the provision of community services, so that we can get greater plurality of provision in community services.

[Baroness Barker]

My Lords, have the Government yet managed to conduct an assessment of the NHS IT budget? If so, what conclusions have they reached?

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, that work is ongoing and we have not yet reached any definitive conclusions.