§ 18. Mr. Ian Gilmourasked the Minister of Health what steps he has taken to improve the provision of hospital beds for turbulent mentally-defective children.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonI have recently asked hospital authorities to review their building programme and I have drawn their attention to the need to give the psychiatric services not only a due share of the resources available but an early share. The review will cover the needs of these children for hospital accommodation.
§ Mr. GilmourWhile appreciating that reply, may I ask whether the Minister does not agree that it is anomalous that a turbulent adult immediately has a bed found for him but a turbulent child is normally placed on a virtually stationary waiting list?
§ Mr. RobinsonI would not put the problem in quite such stark terms as that. It is true that there are about 2,200 mentally subnormal children awaiting admission to hospital at the moment, but at the end of last year there were about 8,000 beds occupied by such children. Additional beds are in the course of being provided and further provision is being planned.
§ Lord BalnielDoes not the Minister recollect his undertaking that he would ask groups of regional hospital boards to work together in order to improve inpatient accommodation for subnormal children? Has any progress been made in this grouping of regional hospital boards?
§ Mr. RobinsonI do not recall giving an assurance that groups of regional hospital boards could work together. I said that regional boards and local health authorities were being asked to work together for this purpose.
§ Mr. HazellDoes not my right hon. Friend agree that every regional board has waiting lists of children seeking admission to such institutions?
§ Mr. RobinsonI think that that is probably true.