§ 27. Mr. Leslie Huckfieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now introduce legislation to abolish private practice in the National Health Service.
§ Sir K. JosephNo, Sir.
§ Mr. HuckfieldBut, in view of the growing evidence of abuse of National 1179 Health Service facilities by private consultants, which cannot rival the scandal recently admitted by the Birmingham Regional Hospital at Walsgrave, near Coventry, would the right hon. Gentleman take steps to separate completely private practice from the Health Service or at least go as far as preventing private consultants from being members of regional hospital boards and hospital management committees?
§ Sir K. JosephNo, Sir, although I am always willing to look at allegations of abuse.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergWill my right hon. Friend accept that we on this side of the House feel that there is a continuing place in the Health Service for an increasing number of private beds and that we do not accept the wild allegations made by the Opposition?
§ Sir K. JosephSo do I.
§ Mr. MolloyDoes the right hon. Gentleman agree that people who are well off, when they are ill, are getting an enormous advantage over ordinary people and that the situation will be exacerbated by the income tax benefit to be given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the wealthy? Is not this undermining and damaging the whole morale of Britain's National Health Service?
§ Sir K. JosephFor better or worse, nothing in this connection has changed since the Labour Party was in office. The number of private beds in the National Health Service is of the order of 1 per cent.
§ Sir G. NabarroWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind the continuing phenomenon that every year an increasing number of people are insuring their health privately with B.U.P.A., P.P.P. and similar organisations and that the total of such people is now almost 2 million? Is this a process which my right hon. Friend would wish to arrest?
§ Sir K. JosephNo, Sir.
§ 28. Mr. Leslie Huckfieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what new legislation he proposes to prevent abuses of National Health Services facilities by private consultants.
§ Sir K. JosephNone, Sir.
§ Mr. HuckfieldIn view of the growing amount of evidence being offered by the Junior Hospital Doctors Association and even by the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board, and since the right hon. Gentleman has said that he is interested in preventing abuse of the National Health Service, will he consider holding not only a full-scale public inquiry into the conduct of affairs at Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry, but a full-scale national inquiry into private practice in the National Health Service?
§ Sir K. JosephI have no evidence on which to base any such thought.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsAs the right hon. Gentleman is responsible for the National Health Service, will he look again at the low occupancy of private beds in certain hospitals and at charges made for the use of pathology laboratories, X-ray laboratories and other ancillary services by private consultants? Will he bear in mind that in this tax-financed service it is crucial to get the best throughput we can while many people are waiting for routine operations?
§ Sir K. JosephI am willing to look at any points and details which the right hon. Lady sends me and which she thinks I should consider.
§ Mr. GoldingIs the Secretary of State aware that there is also very great concern in North Staffordshire about the abuse of the Health Service by private consultants? Will he extend the proposed inquiry into private consultancy practice in Coventry to the North Staffordshire hospitals?
§ Sir K. JosephNot just on the hon. Gentleman's allegations in the House today.