§ 13. Mr. Rhodesasked the Minister of Health what his estimate was of the 1110 shortage of hospital beds in the Tyneside area in October, 1964; and what his plans are for improving the present position.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThe main deficiencies are in the provision for geriatrics and obstetrics. These are not measurable solely in terms of beds, since the need is for new buildings and the modernisation of existing hospitals. The hospital plan now under review includes proposals for the future for a new district general hospital at Freeman Road, Newcastle, and the redevelopment as district general hospitals of the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, the Newcastle General Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Gateshead, and South Shields General Hospital. Major works are now in progress at Prudhoe and Monkton, Northgate and District, Hexham, and Ashington hospitals, and further schemes in the Tyneside area are starting this year.
§ Mr. RhodesIn view of the fact that the area suffers from quite a severe shortage of beds for geriatric cases, maternity cases and cases which my right hon. Friend did not mention, namely, those of mentally sub-normal children, may I ask him to institute an inquiry into the overall needs of the area with a view to bringing forward the building date of the 1,000-bed hospital in my constituency, to which he has just referred? There is an urgent need to develop hospitals in the area, and I think that the years of complacency must be ended very quickly.
§ Mr. RobinsonIt is for the regional board to determine the needs and the priorities of the Newcastle region. Whilst I agree with my hon. Friend that there are shortages of geriatric and maternity beds in the Tyneside area, these are more than balanced, numerically, by a theoretical surplus at least, of acute beds.