HL Deb 26 October 1960 vol 225 cc1092-4
EARL WINTERTON

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the criticisms made by an unofficial committee of the methods for dealing with casualty cases in National Health hospitals and of other evidence to the same effect, they will appoint a Committee of Inquiry to examine the question.]

LORD ST. OSWALD

My Lords, the Standing Medical Advisory Committee of the Central Health Services Council appointed, earlier this year, a subcommittee under the chairmanship of Sir Harry Platt to consider the organisation of hospital casualty and accident services and to make recommendations regarding their future development. The Scottish Health Services Council has set up a similar Committee. I have no doubt that these Committees will consider the recommendations made in the study, based on twenty casualty Departments, which was recently published for the Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust.

EARL WINTERTON

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord who answered the Question whether his attention has been called, as am sure it has been, to a most serious indictment of the arrangements for dealing with casualties which appeared by a responsible writer in The Times newspaper lately? In that case there was a mixture of inhumane and most ineffective treatment of a man who had broken his thigh and was suffering from shock? Are the Ministry of Health prepared to take any action in this particular case, in view of the fact that the answer given by one hospital made no mention of one of the worst features of the treatment—namely, that the patient was refused a cup of tea?

LORD ST. OSWALD

My Lords, my noble friend's Question was phrased in more general terms. I had not in fact read an account of the case to which he refers. All I think I can say this afternoon is that if my noble friend will acquaint me with the details, I, through my right honourable friend, will see to it that the sub-committee is informed of this case.

EARL WINTERTON

I am much obliged to my noble friend.

LORD STONHAM

Is the noble Lord aware that, at the instance of the Minister, every Regional Board has been very seriously considering this problem; that they are proposing to concentrate major casualty centres in the hospitals in each group, but that what is needed is more money to equip, expand and provide more casualty centres? And can he say whether that will be forthcoming?

LORD ST. OSWALD

I think that any decisions of that nature must naturally rest upon the findings of this sub- committee, which has been set up specifically for the purpose of discovering what the facts are, and of suggesting remedies.