I have adopted a strategic and planned approach to meet hospital and general health service requirements since coming into office. In this regard, the strategic framework which I have adopted relates to policy documents such as the national health strategy and the cancer strategy, together with reform and policy measures relating to the hospital services which I have initiated, such as the report of the review group on the waiting list initiative and the cardiovascular health strategy.
In addition, I have allocated significant additional revenue and capital funding to enable the acute hospitals to meet the hospital care needs of the growing population. I allocated an additional £44 million and an additional £71 million in 1998 and 1999 respectively over the 1997 level of £17 million for service development funding provided for acute hospitals. As regards capital expenditure, I allocated £144 million in 1998 and £155 million in 1999 for capital developments, including hospitals, and this compares with capital allocations of £112 million in 1996 and £127 million in 1997. These allocations have resulted in a significant expansion of acute hospital services and in infrastructural developments in acute hospitals throughout the country. In the medium-term it will be possible for me to be more specific about the range and rate of development of the services when the national development plan is published shortly.