HC Deb 03 May 1951 vol 487 cc1397-9
18. Mr. Alport

asked the Minister of Health how many additional hospital beds he anticipates will be opened during the financial year 1951–52.

Mr. Marquand

I am unable to give any useful estimate at this stage.

Mr. Alport

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise what a very urgent matter this is, and how important it is that some idea should be given to those who were concerned in the provision of additional hospital accommodation as to how far progress is likely to be made during the coming year?

Mr. Marquand

I do realise how urgent it is, and I am doing all I can about it, but that is another matter from being able to estimate how far success can be achieved during a period of a year when so much depends upon the availability of nursing staff.

Mr. Hastings

Does not the opening of more beds depend mainly on the question of domestic and nursing staff?

Sir Hugh Lucas-Tooth

If the Minister has not been able to estimate how many beds will be opened, what financial allocation has he made in the Estimates for this purpose?

Mr. Marquand

I have already informed the House that we are allowing £15 million more this year than last year for the hospital service.

Lieut.-Colonel Elliot

Does the right hon. Gentleman estimate that he will be able to use this extra money?

Mr. Marquand

Yes, Sir.

19. Mr. Alport

asked the Minister of Health how many persons are on the waiting lists of hospitals in England and Wales; and what is the average period of waiting.

Mr. Marquand

The total number on 31st December, 1950, was 553,577. I could not give waiting periods without making extensive inquiries, but in any case an average figure would have little significance.

Mr. Alport

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this number is a matter of grave concern, and is indeed far greater than the figure which those of us who have been trying to estimate the size of the problem according to our own capacities, have reached? Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that from the point of view of a locality like North-East Essex, the numbers on the waiting list have been there for about three months or more on the average? Does this not indicate to the Minister the necessity to deal with this problem urgently?

Mr. Marquand

Yes, Sir. I am fully aware of the urgency of this problem, and I am doing all I can to secure an increase in the number of nurses and to make more staff beds available. I am happy to say that the number on the waiting list is less than it was a year ago.

Mr. Paton

Has my right hon. Friend any figures to show how this compares with the waiting list before the National Health Service was established? Can he say how many new beds for general hospital cases have been established since the service was instituted?

Mr. Marquand

I gave the latter figure last week. I cannot with certainty state it from memory, but I think it was about 18,000 since the National Health Service started. As I say, I speak from memory, and I am subject to correction. It is not possible to say what the position was before the National Health Service started since statistics are not available.

Lieut.-Colonel Elliot

Could not the Minister investigate that point a little further? It is of no use to give the figure since the Health Service started, which was, of course, after the end of the war. We should be interested to have the pre-war figures to compare with them. That is what the House wants to know.

Mr. Marquand

That would be very interesting but, I suggest, slightly academic.