HC Deb 10 December 1974 vol 883 cc225-6
12. Mr. Steen

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in her consideration of the policy of phasing out private beds from the National Health Service, if she will consider the merits of an annual tax refund for those patients who do not use or choose to use the National Health Service.

Mrs. Castle

No, Sir. In my view this would be neither right nor practicable.

Mr. Steen

Will the right hon. Lady consider allowing the patient who chooses to take medical treatment in private hospitals to use some of the expensive specialist equipment found in National Health Service hospitals? Will these patients be allowed to use such equipment quite freely?

Mrs. Castle

I am sorry if I have not understood the hon. Gentleman. [HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear."] I am glad that it was not a purely private defect of my own. It is a fundamental principle of the National Health Service that its services are available to all in this country who need them. Many patients who seek private treatment for some purposes none the less rely totally on the health service for other purposes, such as accident situations, emergencies or long-term and more profound problems. Therefore, since the service has to be financed out of taxation, it is only right that everybody should contribute.

Mrs. Dunwoody

Will not my right hon. Friend accept the hon. Gentleman's suggestion gladly, provided that all pri- vate patients pay a considerable levy towards the training under the State system of doctors who treat them as private patients? Would not this continue to ensure that the private sector contributes to the amount of subsidy it gets from the National Health Service?

Mrs. Castle

I entirely agree with my hon. Friend that private patients get a very good deal from the National Health Service since they do not pay any levy towards the benefits they enjoy. They continue to receive the best of both worlds. That is why we think something should be done about it.

Mr. Onslow

When the right hon. Lady considers the number of wards which are closed and the facilities not available because of a shortage of staff, and when she reflects on the possible dangers to mothers as a result of the premature inducement of birth because staff cannot be persuaded to provide 24-hour cover for maternity units, does she think that this is the right moment to starve the hospital budget of the £30 million contributed from the private side?

Mrs. Castle

I certainly think that this is the right moment for us to proceed under a phased programme, which we are now negotiating, to make available to National Health Service patients the beds currently earmarked for private patients in the NHS. The occupancy rate of these is well below what it ought to be if we are to get the full use of resources which we need.