§ 14. Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consult with the Welsh Hospital Board with a view to closing the 15 months gap between the end of the present stage of development at the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Monmouthshire, and the commencement of the next stage.
§ Mr. Gibson-WattNo. The precise interval between the current phase of redevelopment and the next one is not yet known. I am sure, however, that the Welsh Hospital Board, which is responsible, is fully aware of the case for speedy redevelopment.
§ Mr. HughesDoes the Minister appreciate that in the surgical department there is an overall waiting time of nine months for non-urgent cases, that consultants take the view that general medical patients are being discharged too quickly and the consultants are concerned about the safety factor, and that there is a fire hazard in the pathology department? Are not these reasons sufficient justification for expediting the scheme?
§ Mr. Gibson-WattI visited this hospital on 12th February. There is certainly a good deal of concern about the length of waiting lists. This matter is receiving the attention of the Welsh Hospital Board.