§ 18. Mrs. Shirley Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what additional appointments of consultants in geriatric medicine and general medicine he is proposing to authorise following the report of the South-East Metropolitan Hospitals Board.
§ Sir K. JosephThe initiative for proposing new posts lies with hospital boards. My Department last month approved a proposal by the South-East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board for one consultant post in geriatric medicine. No proposals from it are currently awaiting a decision.
§ Mrs. WilliamsMight the right hon. Gentleman consider encouraging metropolitan regional hospital boards to put forward such proposals? In the report geriatric wards are described as human warehouses. One of the points the board made most strongly was that this was the most desperately under-staffed section of the Health Service.
§ Sir K. JosephI wrote on 13th April to all regional hospital boards and boards of governors inviting proposals for additional senior registrar posts in the specialities where there were many vacancies. I realise that, despite the Government's extra injection of money into the geriatric services, there is still an immense amount to be done.