§ 39. Mr. Deanasked the Minister of Health what plans he has to provide better health facilities for elderly people, and in particular more hospital beds for acute illness, and more local authority accommodation for chronic illness.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonI have asked regional hospital boards in reviewing their programmes to give due priority to the expansion of hospital geriatric services. I have also asked local authorities in revising their health and welfare plans to have regard to the adequacy of residential accommodation for elderly people not in need of continuous nursing care.
§ Mr. DeanI thank the Minister for that reply. Will he bear in mind that, from the point of view of the hospital services, old people tend to be at the bottom of the queue because of the pressures on hospitals and that, from the point of view of the local authority services, what one might call the mildly chronically ill tend to fall between the two stools—the hospital services on the one hand and the local authority services on the other?
§ Mr. RobinsonIt is to deal with these two points, in so far as they are generally applicable, that, firstly, I asked the hospital authorities to concentrate on the services for old people in the review of the plan and, secondly, I asked hospital authorities and local health authorities to get together and plan in liaison with each other.
§ Dame Irene WardSince Newcastle Regional Hospital Board has been arguing with the Ministry of Health for a very long time, can the right hon. Gentleman say, in view of his Answer, whether permission has now been given to that board to get on with the provision of, at any rate, a day geriatric hospital which has been wanted for such a long time?
§ Mr. RobinsonIf the hon. Lady wants an answer to a question relating to a 12 specific hospital I hope that she will be good enough to put a Question down.