§ 57. Dr. Segalasked the Minister of Health whether he will arrange for at least one bed for the admission of emergency cases to be reserved nightly in all hospitals of over 200 beds.
§ Mr. BevanNo, Sir. Hospitals normally reserve the number of beds shown by experience to be needed, and in emergency put up extra beds.
§ Dr. SegalIs my right hon. Friend aware that there is a great deficiency of beds for acute emergency cases and many lives have been endangered through lack of these facilities?
§ Mr. BevanIt is certainly true that there is more demand for beds today than there was before, and that there are many more beds to meet the demand. What is now happening is that we are hearing of these cases where formerly we did not.
§ Sir Henry Morris-JonesIs it not the case that before this Act came into force no hospital in London, or anywhere else, refused emergency sick cases? Now that it is the Minister's responsibility, is he aware that, in London particularly, medical men are harassed and have to be on the telephone for over an hour every day trying to get sick people into hospital, and will he go into the whole matter again?
§ Mr. BevanThe hon. Gentleman is inaccurate in his statement. It was often very difficult to get emergency cases into hospital. What is now happening is that there is fixed responsibility for this whereas formerly responsibility was diffused and no one knew about the complaints.
§ Dr. SegalIs my right hon. Friend aware that certain emergencies can arise where an hour or two's delay may mean a matter of life or death? Beds ought to be made available for this particular type of emergency.
§ Mr. BevanThey are made available. The hon. Member is unaware of the situation. All vacant beds in London are filled up by the end of the day. Where there are emergency cases, emergency beds are established in order to deal with them. There will inevitably be one or two instances of delay, and we will try to cut down that delay to the lowest possible margin.