§ 37. Sir H. Williamsasked the Minister of Health what steps he proposes to take to restore the medical service to the people to the standard of efficiency which prevailed prior to 1st July, 1948, in view of the heavy increase in mortality in the first three years of the service as compared with the three previous years.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithAfter allowing for relevant factors in each of the periods specified, the difference in mortality is extremely small, and my right hon. Friend is unable to accept the implication in the Question.
§ Sir H. WilliamsWas not the increase of mortality in the period in question 80,000?
§ Statistics are available in respect only of patients treated under the Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts. Only one London teaching hospital (Bethlem and Maudsley) receive such patients, and in that case the admissions are limited to voluntary patients. For 1950 the figures were as follow:
| Recovered | Relieved | Not Improved | Total | ||
| Per cent. | Per cent. | Per cent. | Per cent. | ||
| Bethlem and Maudsley | … | 26.8 | 48.6 | 19.9 | 95.3 |
| Mental Hospitals in England and Wales | … | 27.6 | 37.9 | 9.7 | 75.2 |
42. Dr. Bennettasked the Minister of Health what proportion of beds in teaching hospitals are allotted to psychiatric cases.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithThe figures mentioned by my hon. Friend do not, I think, take into account the increase in numbers and age of the population and, in particular, the influenza epidemic early in 1951.
§ Sir H. WilliamsWas there not also a very serious influenza epidemic in the earlier period which my hon. Friend has not taken into account?
§ Dr. Barnet StrossWould the hon. Lady bear in mind that the type of action required from her and from her right hon. Friend by all sides of the House is that they should do everything possible to improve the Health Service, and to resist all attacks from quarters as ignorant as those from which this has just come?