HC Deb 09 May 1972 vol 836 cc1117-8
13. Mr. O'Halloran

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the extent to which private medical practice has increased in the National Health Service during the past five years.

Sir K. Joseph

Between 1966 and 1971, the number of private in-patients treated in National Health Service hospitals in England and Wales rose from 101,696 to 114,856, an increase of the same order of magnitude as in the number of hospital in-patients in general. The proportion therefore of private in-patients to inpatients as a whole has remained roughly the same at 2 per cent. from 1968 to 1971.

Mr. O'Halloran

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that reply, but will he say that, whatever encroachment there is by the private medical service into the National Health Service, National Health Service patients will not suffer in regard to admission to hospital?

Sir K. Joseph

I have no evidence of acute need for hospital care being impeded in any way by private patients. If any such cases can be brought to my notice, I hope that hon. Members will send them to me.

Mrs. Renée Short

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will read the evidence that has already been submitted. He will find in it quite a large number of such cases cited by patients and people working in National Health Service hospitals. Does not he accept that the fact that private practice exists in the Service provides an enormous loophole through which there can be all kinds of abuses, and that that is the main objection to private practice?

Sir K. Joseph

I am due to reply to the report and I would rather reserve my answers until then.

Mr. Kenneth Lewis

As a great many people who are using private beds in hospitals do so through private insurance schemes, and as the trade union movement has its own private hospital for its own members, is it not time that the Opposition stopped this criticism of what is a legitimate and useful service?

Sir K. Joseph

I hope that the Opposition are not taking up arms against the freedom of citizens to secure non-acute treatment at their convenience.

Mr. Russell Kerr

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the British United Provident Association in particular is widely regarded as a queue-jumping organisation and as such is deeply offensive to the majority of people?

Sir K. Joseph

The hon. Gentleman is not taking the point that the access to treatment at convenience is not intended to allow any interference with access as needed and at once for acute need.