HC Deb 20 June 1961 vol 642 cc1154-5
16. Mr. T. Fraser

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if it is his policy to provide accommodation in psychiatric units attached to general hospitals for patients suffering from mental or nervous illness; and if he will ensure that all consultant psychiatrists appointed to general hospitals have beds available to them for the treatment of in-patients either in the general hospital or at some convenient mental hospital.

Mr. Galbraith

My right hon. Friend's policy is to make the most effective use both of the specialised hospitals and psychiatric units in general hospitals. While in principle it is desirable that consultants should have beds to which they can admit patients for treatment under their care, the duties to be carried out by any particular consultant are for the regional hospital board concerned to determine.

Mr. Fraser

The hon. Gentleman's reply seems to suggest that there is a difference between the policy in Scotland and that in England. Is it not a fact that the Minister of Health has made it clear that it is his policy to have psychiatric units attached to all general hospitals in the next few years? Is that the policy in Scotland? Is it not highly desirable that psychiatric units should be attached to general hospitals, and especially to large general hospitals? When does he expect this to happen?

In addition, will the hon. Gentleman call to the attention of hospital boards the desirability of making beds for inpatients available to consultant psychiatrists in their employment?

Mr. Galbraith

Of course, where new general teaching hospitals are provided, this sort of accommodation will also be provided. However, in general, we in Scotland are in a rather different position from that of England in that the majority of the Scottish mental hospitals are of reasonable size and are conveniently placed for the population which they serve. I hope that that satisfies the point raised in the first part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question.

In answer to the second part of his supplementary question about having beds available for consultants, the only case of difficulty which has arisen was in the Western Regional Hospital Board, and the Secretary of State's views about it have been made known to the Board.

Mr. Fraser

Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that what he has just said about the system in Scotland is in direct conflict with what he said when last Session he was piloting through the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill, which is now an Act of Parliament? We understood that under that Measure it was the policy of the Government to replace many of the existing mental hospitals by providing the necessary psychiatric units in our general hospitals?

Mr. Galbraith

Where they are needed they will be provided. I was trying to point out that the position in Scotland is rather different from that in England, because many of the Scottish mental hospitals are well placed for the population which they seek to serve

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