§ 34. Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Minister of Health what steps have been taken to provide patients in National Health Service hospitals with earphones or otherwise prevent the seriously ill, and those who do not want it, being subjected to radio and television noise.
§ Mr. BraineHospitals have been advised to do this; earphones and pillowphones are in general use in most hospitals.
§ Mr. Biggs-DavisonCan my hon. Friend say what proportion of the hospitals have acted on this advice which I am glad the Ministry of Health is giving them?
§ Mr. BraineI could not say without notice, but the attention of all hospital authorities was drawn to the matter in July last year when they were sent the Report of the Standing Nursing Advisory Committee of the Central Health Services Council.
§ Sir G. NicholsonDoes not that last answer rather indicate that the recommendations of the Department tend to be ignored? Surely it is a fact that in many hospitals and institutions this sort of thing goes on? Is it not very cruel and hindering recovery? Cannot the Department be persuaded to take a stronger line in this matter?
§ Mr. BraineI do not think it at all fair for my hon. Friend the Member for Farnham (Sir G. Nicholson) to draw that inference from my answer to the question asked by my hon. Friend the Mem- 952 ber for Chigwell (Mr. Biggs-Davison). If my hon. Friend has a specific case in mind—as he may well have—in respect of an individual hospital and will let me have the particulars, I shall certainly look into it straight away.