HC Deb 04 April 1962 vol 657 cc432-3
12. Dr. Dickson Mabon

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the numbers of maternity beds deficient in each hospital region at present on the basis of the minimum requirements of the Montgomery Report; and what are the numbers that will be deficient in each hospital region assuming the hospital building programme, 1961 to 1966 is realised on schedule.

Mr. Galbraith

As the Answer contains a number of figures I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Dr. Mabon

May I ask the Minister if his Answer departs substantially from what has been published in the Hospital Plan for Scotland? If it does not, will he consider looking again at the priorities because, even with the present

MATERNITY BEDS—SCOTLAND
AT 30TH SEPTEMBER, 1961
— Bed complement Beds required* Deficiency Surplus
Western … … 1,653 2,037 384 —
South-Eastern … … 662 762 100 —
Eastern … … 207 317 110 —
North-Eastern … … 344 330 — 14
Northern … … 121 130 9 —
2,987 3,576 603 14
Net deficiency 589
ON COMPLETION OF 1961–66 PROGRAMME
— Bed complement† Beds required‡ Deficiency Surplus
Western … … 2,185 2,095 — 90
South-Eastern … … 662 819 157 —
Eastern … … 255 319 64 —
North-Eastern … … 344 326 — 18
Northern … … 150 129 — 21
3,596 3,688 221 129
Net deficiency 92
*The Montgomery Report recommended that beds should be available for a stay in hospital of 10 days for at least 70 per cent. of total births. For planning purposes, owing to unreliability of estimates of births, this has been converted into the equivalent figure of 0.69 beds per 1,000 population.
† Account is taken of closures and improved bed spacing.
‡ The calculations in this column relate to an estimated population in 1968.