§ 27. Brigadier Prior-Palmerasked the Minister of Health whether he will make a further statement on the effect of his circular to hospitals encouraging daily visits to children's wards.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodI am gratified at the progress which has been, and is being, made. I have asked my Standing Medical Advisory Committee to consider whether there is any further advice which might usefully be offered to hospitals which have not yet felt able to introduce daily visiting of children.
§ Brigadier Prior-PalmerMay I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply and ask him whether he will consider circulating those hospitals which have not adopted this practice with the evidence, or a summary of the evidence, from those hospitals which have been practising it for a considerable time? Further, does he realise that the chief opponents, who are the sisters and nursing staffs and not the doctors, might be informed that they do not see the damage that takes place: it is the parents who see it afterwards?
§ Mr. MacleodIn reply to the first part of that question, I would say that it is precisely that point that the Standing Medical Advisory Committee is now considering, and I think that it has accepted that proposal in principle. The figures, which perhaps the House might be interested in, show that in 1952 under 25 per cent. of hospitals allowed daily visiting of children, and the figure at the end of last year was 62½ per cent., which is two-and-a-half times as much. I am told that the position has considerably improved since then. I should make it 18 clear that I am very grateful to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Worthing (Brigadier Prior-Palmer) for his persistence in this matter, which is one to which I attach great importance.