Page:Hansard (UK) - Vol 566 No. 40 August 29th 2013.pdf/81

985W  sclerosis treatments covered by the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Risk Sharing Scheme for patients meeting published clinical criteria.

The development of the United Kingdom-wide network of over 70 MS specialist treatment centres together with an increase in the number of MS specialist nurses has helped to improve the care and support available to MS patients.

Anna Soubry: Paragraph 28 of schedule 4 to the National Health Service Act 2006 gives the Secretary of State power to dissolve an NHS trust on the application of the NHS trust concerned, or if the Secretary of State considers it appropriate in the interests of the health service. This power came into force in November 2006.

The following table gives details of the NHS trusts dissolved using this power.

Anna Soubry: The Government’s policy is that all mergers involving national health service organisations must be in the interests of patients. The Competition Commission’s review of the merger between the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch NHS Foundation Trust and the Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is an independent statutory process. We have noted the preliminary conclusions that were published on 11 July 2013. We now expect the Commission to carefully consider the benefits of the merger, taking views from stakeholders, before reaching a final decision.

Dr Poulter: The Innovation Scorecard presents data showing which local health services are providing which National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended medicines and technologies. The Department does not issue any guidance on the use or interpretation of the Innovation Scorecard data.

The Innovation Scorecard is part of the Innovation Health and Wealth programme being led by NHS England. It is designed to provide patients and the public with information on the treatments available within their local hospitals and NHS services, and guidance on its interpretation is a matter for NHS England. The Health and Social Care Information Centre publishes guidance alongside the Innovation Scorecard Data.

Dr Poulter: NHS England does not hold a central record of contracts that have been awarded to private sector (″commercial″) organisations.

Anna Soubry: The Trust Special Administrator’s regime for a national health service trust, as set out under Chapter 5A of the NHS Act 2006, is triggered by the Secretary of State.