HC Deb 05 May 1958 vol 587 cc826-7
20. Miss Burton

asked the Minister of Health if he will make a statement on the present position concerning the reconstruction work being carried out at the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital.

Mr. Walker-Smith

As a number of details are involved, I will, with permission, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Miss Burton

That is not particularly helpful. This matter has gone on for a long time. Is the Minister aware that, in the case of the front block, excellent progress has been made, which I saw myself on Saturday, but that although progress with the back block is now better, it was commenced as long ago as November, 1955? While we should pay tribute to the matron and the staff in the transfer of patients to the new wards, may I ask the Minister for an assurance that the finishing date of the front block will be October and the finshing date of the back block will be July, both of this year?

Mr. Walker-Smith

I do not have in mind the geographical layout quite as precisely as the hon. Lady, but I assure her, as she well knows, that very good progress has been made with this building scheme as a whole in the past year and that expenditure in the last financial year considerably exceeded the estimate. We are expecting to finish the kitchen, dining and physiotherapy block in August, and the casualty and fracture unit and additional wards in September of this year. The addition to the outpatient department is, of course, dependent upon those two, and further discussions are taking place in regard to other aspects of this work.

Following is the statement:

Item Description Progress made
1 Kitchen, dining and physiotherapy block. Completion expected in August, 1958.
2 Reinstatement of war-damaged wards. Completed.
3 Casualty and fracture unit and additional wards. Part handed over on 21st April; completion expected in September, 1958.
4 Adaptations to outpatient department. Must await completion of items 1 and 3.
5 New dental department. Postponed for later stage.
6 Engineers Work-shop. Completed.
7 Nurse Training School. Completed.