HC Deb 11 July 1960 vol 626 cc970-1
22. Mr. W. Griffiths

asked the Minister of Health whether he will instruct the Manchester Regional Hospital Board and the Governors of the United Manchester Hospitals to take action in all out-patient clinics in hospitals under their control to make the patients aware of the identity of the doctor who sees them at the clinic.

Miss Pitt

This is a matter for hospital authorities themselves to decide, in consultation with their medical staff.

Mr. Griffiths

Has the hon. Lady been sent by a doctor to attend an outpatients' department as a National Health Service patient and experienced the hopes and fears which people experience when they go to these places? Does she not think it undesirable that people who think that they will get the opinion of a distinguished consultant often do not see that consultant, although there may be very good reasons for that? What is even worse is that they have no idea who sees them. I think that they are entitled to know who is looking at their bodies and examining them. The initiative in this matter should come from the hon. Lady and from her Department. She is passing the buck.

Miss Pitt

When the general practitioner names a consultant in the letter brought by the patient, normally that consultant will see the patient——

Mr. Griffiths

That is not true at all.

Miss Pitt

—but, to conserve time, his opinion may be conveyed in a letter from the registrar to the practitioner. In answer to the first part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question, I can tell him that I have had such experience with members of my family. Happily in those cases we saw the main consultant. I expect to find that to be general, but I hope that the hon. Gentleman's Question will bring this matter to the attention of the regional hospital board, which is the proper authority.

Dr. Summerskill

Does not the hon. Lady think that she and her right hon. and learned Friend should make it clear to the hospitals that her Department does not wish these doctors always to wear a cloak of anonymity? The time has come when consultants must be told that they have no right under certain circumstances to allow their registrars to deputise for them. On the whole, most of them do very fine work, but there is some evidence that there is too much deputising in some hospitals.

Miss Pitt

There are occasions when a new patient may better be seen in the first instance by the registrar for history taking and preliminary tests, but the final responsibility rests always with the consultant, and that is the point on which I want to reassure hon. Members.