HC Deb 26 February 1962 vol 654 c932
31. Mr. Boy den

asked the Minister of Health which areas in Great Britain are without special accident services, and for what reasons.

The Minister of Health (Mr. J. Enoch Powell)

All areas have arrangements for dealing with accidents.

Mr. Boyden

Is the Minister aware that that is not the same as the special accident service which the medical profession wants? Is the lack of special facilities due to shortage of doctors, shortage of facilities, or purely to Ministerial inertia?

Mr. Powell

I was not quite clear what the hon. Member meant by "special accident services." The hospital programme involves continuing development of the accident services, which will be increasingly concentrated and, thereby, will become increasingly more efficient. But this is a continuous process; it has been going on and it will continue.