HC Deb 31 January 1966 vol 723 cc679-80
45. Mr. Pavitt

asked the Minister of Health whether he has completed the review of pay-bed policy; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. K. Robinson

Yes, Sir. I am asking hospital boards to review the number of pay beds in their hospitals and, where necessary, to submit revised proposals designed to bring the relationship between provision and demand more closely into line with that which obtains for other hospital beds. This is one of a number of measures I propose to take which I have discussed with the Joint Consultants Committee, and which are designed to promote the more effective use of consultant manpower and hospital beds. As the details are rather long I am circulating them in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Pavia

Does my right hon. Friend assume that this review will be quick and that it will avoid queue-jumping? Can he say what effect this will have on the employment of whole-time con- sultants? For example, is it obligatory on regional hospital boards to offer part-time or whole-time appointments to consultants? And what will happen about amenity beds?

Mr. Robinson

I hope that this review will be reasonably speedy. As to my hon. Friend's second supplementary question, I think that there is some misunderstanding that a hospital board is obliged in all circumstances to offer an option of a full-time or a maximum part-time appointment. This is not the case, and I am calling the attention of the boards to the fact that they have always been able to advertise their whole-time appointments if that is what they decide is required. I am considering how best hospitals can further publicise the existence of amenity beds.

Mr. Frederic Harris

Can the Minister say why it is that Socialist Members always seem to think that it is a crime that anyone able to pay for health services should do so if they wish?

Hon. Members

Queue-jumping.

Mr. Robinson

What concerns some of my hon. Friends, and certainly concerns me, is that people should not, because they are able to pay, be able to get treatment more quickly than those who do not pay.

Following are the details: Hospital boards have for some years been required when advertising consultant posts to offer applicants the alternatives of maximum part-time and whole-time except when the needs of the hospital service demand a whole-time appointment. Where boards regard such an appointment as necessary, I am informing them that after discussion with their consultant staff under the normal machinery, they should advertise the post as whole time and offer no option of maximum part-time. I propose to remove the limit now prescribed by Regulations on the amount of fees that hospital medical and dental staff may charge for treating private patients in National Health Service hospitals, as I consider this should be a matter between the practitioner and his private patients. This will involve amending the Regulations and at the same time I propose to amend them to revise and bring up to date the schedule of hospital charges for private out-patients, and to enable inpatient charges to be reduced when a paying patient is temporarily away from hospital. Lastly, I propose, when opportunity permits, to introduce legislation amending Section 5 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, to enable pay bed charges to be determined on a national basis for different classes of hospital, instead of, as at present, being calculated for each hospital according to the costs at that hospital; and within the total number of pay beds approved by me for the hospital concerned to enable any beds—not only particular beds set aside for the purpose—to be used for private patients. This should result in greater flexibility of use and enable all patients to be accommodated in whatever part of the hospital their condition requires.