§ 33. Brigadier Smythasked the Minister of Health if he will reconsider the case of Mr. F. W. Harris, 40, Uffington Road, West Norwood, who is now being taken to court by the hospital authorities for payment of fees amounting to £85 1s. in view of the fact that when advised by his doctor that his wife must have an immediate emergency operation, he took a semi-private bed for her in King's College Hospital as no public bed was available.
§ Mr. MarquandNo, Sir. My information is that Mr. Harris asked his doctors to obtain a bed at King's College Hospital and accepted a bed in a semiprivate ward on being told that no bed in a general ward at that hospital was available. I have no power under the National Health Service Act to reimburse the cost of arrangements entered into privately.
§ Brigadier SmythShould there not be some room for humanity and elasticity in the operation of the Health Service? Would the Minister realise the state of mind of my constituent who was told that his wife would die within an hour if she could not have an emergency operation? Would not any one of us have signed any form for any bed rather than let his wife die?
§ Mr. MarquandI must tell the hon. and gallant Gentleman that my information does not appear to coincide precisely with his. If he would like to come to see me about it, I will explain the position.
§ Mr. Iain MacLeodIf the inference in the Question was correct, that it was an immediate emergency, would the Minister say why a public free bed was not available in private accommodation, as the Act provides?
§ Mr. MarquandThe situation was that a private bed was asked for, and because it was asked for specially at that particular hospital no application was made to the free bed roll. I am satisfied that the officer concerned had every reason to believe that it was a private bed at King's College Hospital which the gentleman concerned required for his wife.
§ Brigadier SmythWould the Minister realise that I have been most carefully into this case with the doctor and my constituent? The doctor assures me that he wanted to perform an emergency operation at the hospital. He rang up the hospital for any bed. They replied that there was no public bed, but that they could make available a semi-private bed. I am satisfied that those were the facts of the case.
§ Mr. MarquandI do not for a moment doubt that the hon. and gallant Gentleman made the best inquiries he could. He must accept that I did the same.