§ 28. Mr. Owenasked the Minister of Health how many patients were on the waiting list for mental hospital services, at the nearest convenient date, in the Northern Hospital Board region; how these are distributed among the hospitals in the area; and whether he will make a statement of Government policy on this matter.
§ Mr. TurtonOn 31st December, 1955, 46 patients were waiting for admission; 15 at Winterton and 31 at St. Nicholas. None of the other mental hospitals in the region had waiting lists.
Her Majesty's Government's policy is to improve and develop these hospitals within the limits of our financial resources. In the mental hospitals in this region building work costing about £1 million is going on or is planned to start in the next two years.
§ Mr. BlenkinsopDoes the Minister nevertheless realise that, although the official waiting list may be small, that does not necessarily disclose the seriousness of the position, and that we have very serious overcrowding—2,000 patients—in these hospitals?
§ Mr. TurtonThat is perfectly true. In fact, the provision in the schemes which I mentioned last week will provide for 390 beds for mental patients and 530 for mentally-deficient patients in that region. We must try to get the overcrowding reduced.
Mr. SlaterIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that, although there are only 15 on the waiting list at the Winterton Mental Hospital, that hospital is severely overcrowded, and so are other hospitals in the country?
§ Mr. TurtonThat is the point that I was making in my original Answer.