Policy #363: "Foundation hospitals — In favour"

Foundation Hospitals - 8 Jan 2003 - Division No. 42
Policy 'Foundation hospitals - In favour'abstain
Lab0331
Con1400
LDem044
Total146383

I beg to move, To leave out from "House" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:

welcomes the principle of NHS Foundation Trusts as part of the Government's wider programme to improve services for NHS patients; believes that NHS Foundation Trusts must be part of the National Health Service providing care to NHS patients according to NHS principles and subject to NHS standards and inspection; further believes that there should be no arbitrary cap on the numbers of NHS Foundation Trusts and that all NHS hospitals should get the help, support or intervention they need to improve; recognises that extra resources for the health service are delivering improved services for NHS patients and have to be matched with reforms so that standards in the NHS are national but control is local; supports the Government's efforts to devolve power to frontline services and to strengthen accountability to local communities; and rejects any proposal to introduce top-up vouchers for private treatment, tax subsidies for private medical insurance or cuts in public spending of 20 per cent. in view of the inevitable impact that such policies would have on NHS patients including those treated in NHS Foundation Trusts."
Foundation Hospitals - 8 Jan 2003 - Division No. 43
Policy 'Foundation hospitals - In favour'abstain
Lab2810
Con0140
LDem01
Total284152

I beg to move,

That this House welcomes the principle of Foundation Hospitals as a means of improving and enhancing patient care and giving hospitals the opportunity to operate free from political and ministerial interference; regrets the timidity of the Government, which is restricting applications for Foundation status solely to those hospitals enjoying 3-star status; fears that this restriction will create a two-tier health service, to the detriment of patients and staff, and therefore urges the Government to allow all hospitals to bid for Foundation status; calls for clarification of contradictions between ministerial statements and guidance contained in the Department of Health's 'A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts, December 2002' about how Foundation Hospitals are intended to operate; and further calls on the Government to resolve widely publicised ministerial differences, which are likely to deter hospitals from seeking Foundation status.
Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill - 7 May 2003 - Division No. 177
Policy 'Foundation hospitals - In favour'No (strong)
Lab63291
Con01
LDem440
Total119299

I beg to move,

That this House declines to give a Second Reading to a Bill which, by establishing Foundation Trusts and introducing other layers of bureaucracy, would increase disparities between hospitals and detract from the Government's commitment to a primary care led NHS, free from excessive bureaucracy, and believes that alternative ways of encouraging accountability in the NHS should be considered and a consensus established before legislation is introduced.

Question put, That the amendment be made:-

The House divided: Ayes 117, Noes 297.

Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill - 7 May 2003 - Division No. 178
Policy 'Foundation hospitals - In favour'Aye (strong)
Lab29931
Con0144
LDem045
Total306232

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

Main Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 62 (Amendment on Second or Third Reading):-

The House divided: Ayes 304, Noes 230.

Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill — NHS Foundation Trusts - 8 Jul 2003 - Division No. 280
Policy 'Foundation hospitals - In favour'No (strong)
Lab60284
Con1310
LDem420
Total253288

The Aye-voters failed to pass an amendment to remove the foundation trust proposals from the bill.

Amendment No. 164, in page 1, line 4, leave out clause 1.
Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill — NHS Community Trusts - 8 Jul 2003 - Division No. 281
Policy 'Foundation hospitals - In favour'abstain
Lab0336
Con1320
LDem430
Total196340
The Aye-voters failed to pass Andrew Lansley's amendment to introduce 'NHS community trusts'.
Amendment proposed: No. 96, in clause 2, page 1, line 12, after 'Foundation', insert 'and Community'
Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill — New Clause 9 — Foundation Patients' Fora - 8 Jul 2003 - Division No. 282
Policy 'Foundation hospitals - In favour'abstain
Lab1338
Con1330
LDem410
Total196342

'(1) The Secretary of State shall establish a body to be known as a Foundation Patients' Forum-

(a) for each NHS Trust which has made an application under section 4(2);

(b) for each person who has been incorporated as a public benefit corporation under section 5(5).

(2) The members of the Foundation Patients' Forum are to be appointed by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health.

(3) Once the Foundation Patients' Forum has been established, it may do anything (including the things mentioned in subsection (4) below) which appears to it to be necessary or desirable for the purpose of preparing for effective patient and public involvement in the NHS Trust or public benefit corporation once it becomes a Foundation Trust.

(4) A Foundation Patients' Forum must-

(a) monitor and review the range and operation of services provided by, or under arrangements made by, the trust for which it is established,

(b) obtain the views of patients' and their carers about those matters and report on those views to the trust,

(c) provide advice, and make reports and recommendations, about matters relating to the range and operation of those services to the trust,

(d) make available to patients and their carers advice and information about those services,

(e) in prescribed circumstances, perform any prescribed function of the trust with respect to the provision of a service affording assistance to patients and their families and carers,

(f) carry out such other functions as may be prescribed.

(5) In providing advice or making recommendations under subsection (4)(c), a Foundation Patients' Forum must have regard to the views of patients and their carers.

(6) If, in the course of exercising its functions, a Foundation Patients' Forum becomes aware of any matter which in its view-

(a) should be considered by a relevant overview and scrutiny committee, the Forum may refer that matter to the committee,

(b) should be brought to the attention of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, it may refer that matter to the Commission.

(7) Subsection (6) does not prejudice the power of a Foundation Patients' Forum to make such other representations or referrals as it thinks fit, to such persons or bodies as it thinks fit about matters arising in the course of its exercising its functions.

(8) An NHS Trust or public benefit corporation exercising its powers under sections 4(4)(b) or 5(7)(b) as the case may be shall be obliged to have regard to and take account of the reports and recommendations of the Foundation Patients' Forum.

(9) The governors and non-executive directors of the Foundation Trust shall be obliged to respond in writing to the reports and recommendations of the Foundation Patients' Forum.

(10) All the members, governors and directors of a Foundation Trust shall be obliged to have regard to and take account of the reports and recommendations of the Foundation Patients' Forum in exercising their functions within the Foundation Trust.

(11) The terms in this section shall be construed in accordance with the provisions of section 15(8) and (9) of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002 (c.17).'.-[Joan Ryan.]

Brought up, and read the First time.

Motion made, and Question put, That the clause be read a Second time:-

The House divided: Ayes 194, Noes 340.

Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill — Clause 1 — NHS foundation trusts - 19 Nov 2003 - Division No. 381
Policy 'Foundation hospitals - In favour'Aye (strong)
Lab30161
Con0154
LDem052
Total303286

The majority of MPs voted in favour of the introduction of NHS foundation trusts; bodies with a degree of financial and managerial independence from the Department of Health.

The Aye-voters successfully rejected a Lords wrecking amendment.

The motion being voted on was:

  • That this House disagrees with the Lords in the said amendment:

The Lords amendment in question, No. 1, stated leave out clause 1

Clause 1 defines "NHS foundation trusts".

Shortly after the division there were several points of order noting that Scottish MPs' votes were required to pass the bill, but that the bill only affects England and Wales.

Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill — Clause 1 — NHS Foundation Trusts - 19 Nov 2003 - Division No. 388
Policy 'Foundation hospitals - In favour'Aye (strong)
Lab28934
Con0151
LDem051
Total291250

The Aye-voters struck down the Lords' wrecking amendment to the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill, which had just been introduced a second time during their debate.

The Lords' amendment would have removed Clause 1 from the Bill, which refers to Schedule 1 which lays out the structure of the constitution of a Foundation Hospital.

The original striking out of the same Lords amendment happened earlier in the day in Division 381. The comparison of these two votes is available at this page.

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