§ 30. Miss Quennellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will instruct the hospital boards to issue a directive, so that people in the Alton area may know with certainty to which hospital their relatives or children have been taken in emergencies, or after road accidents.
§ Mr. SnowNo, Sir. When a patient is admitted after an emergency or accident it is normal practice for the hospital to see that relatives are informed.
§ Miss QuennellIs not the hon. Gentleman aware that there have been instances in this town in my constituency when parents, informed of the destination of their child, have arrived at the hospital and found that the child had been sent to a completely different hospital quite outside the accepted run of the hospitals receiving emergencies?
§ Mr. SnowI should like to look into this case, and perhaps the hon. Lady will send me the details. We have a drill laid on, which has worked reasonably well whereby the police, when they have been concerned in an accident, inform the relatives, and whereby, when casualties have been brought into the hospital direct, the hospital notifies the relatives, if necessary with police help. I should like to examine a case such as the hon. Lady has mentioned.