HC Deb 23 October 1968 vol 770 cc1269-70
23. Mr. Adam Hunter

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of sessions per month given by each part-time orthopaedic surgeon in the West Fife and East Fife Hospitals Board of Management, respectively, and the average waiting time for patients requiring clinical examination.

Mr. Millan

Each of the two part-time orthopaedic surgeons in Fife gives nine sessions per week; one undertakes two sessions in West Fife and seven in East Fife, and the other six sessions in West Fife and three in East Fife. The average waiting time for patients requiring orthopædic examination is seven weeks in West Fife and five to six weeks in East Fife.

Mr. Hunter

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Is he aware that the nominal description "part-time consultant" gives such a consultant the opportunity to utilise the resources of the National Health Service for his private patients? Is my hon. Friend further aware that there is a strong impression in Dumfermline and Kirkcaldy that there is a certain amount of queue jumping for beds by these people who can afford to pay the fees charged by these consul- tants? What does my hon. Friend propose to do by way of investigating this apparent abuse of the National Health Service?

Mr. Millan

If my hon. Friend will give me any evidence to substantiate what he says in the second part of his supplementary question, I will examine it. Both part-time consultants are employed on a maximum part-time basis which is for nine sessions a week, as compared with 11 sessions for full-time consultants. This arrangement dates right back to 1948.