§ 45. Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is now the waiting list for admission to Wesham 971 Park Hospital; what was the waiting list on 31st December, 1964; and what plans he has for increasing the accommodation for geriatric patients in the Blackpool and Fylde area.
§ Mr. CrossmanSixty-Six at 31st March, 1969; 33 at 31st December, 1964. Both these figures cover Wesham Park and Rossall Hospitals, which are one administrative unit. A new ward of 166 beds was opened at Wesham Park on 31st March this year. The Regional Hospital Board's building programme includes provision for a 30-bed geriatric assessment unit at Victoria Hospital, Blackpool, and the Board hopes later to provide a unit of 80 to 100 beds for acute geriatric patients at the same hospital.
§ Mr. BlakerIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a very high proportion of old people in this area and that there is an impression that it is more difficult for an old person to get into hospital when suffering from the same illness compared with a young person? Will he therefore continue to give high priority to increasing the provision for old people in this area?
§ Mr. CrossmanI appreciate that the need for accommodation in this area is very acute. I can only add that when the 30-bed unit at the Victoria Hospital is in operation, we will have got the provision of geriatric beds for the area very near to the Department's norm of 10 beds per 1,000 people over 65.