HC Deb 29 April 1975 vol 891 cc210-2
2. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information she has of the likely growth in the number of private beds outside the National Health Service in the current financial year.

The Secretary of State for Social Services (Mrs. Barbara Castle)

Although I have seen reports in the Press and elsewhere of proposals for new private hospitals, and am aware that some applications have been made to local planning authorities for permission to develop private hospitals, I have no information about the likely growth in the number of private beds outside the NHS during the current financial year or by any particular date.

Mrs. Short

Is my right hon. Friend aware that a firm called Allied Investments, which has a lot of backing from merchant bankers and insurance companies, is responsible for private hospitals in this country? Is she also aware that it runs a private insurance scheme and the largest nursing agency, which is creating difficulties in her Department? [Interruption.] I see that we have friends. Does not my right hon. Friend think that the activities of this organisation should be curtailed by her Department and that it should not be given any more help in furthering its activities abroad, using the resources of her Department?

Mrs. Castle

I am unclear about what my hon. Friend means by the second part of her question. However, on the first part I can assure her that I am aware of the developments to which she has referred. I shall be considering them along with the other questions which will need to be settled in the light of the Government's policy of separating private practice from the National Health Service.

Mr. Paul Dean

Will the Secretary of State repudiate the comments that have just been made by her hon. Friend and agree that people should be free to spend their money on health if they wish and that doctors should be free to practise privately if they wish? Does she also recognise that the uncertainties which now exist in this whole field and the disruptive action taking place over pay beds in some National Health Service hospitals are bad for private practice, bad for the National Health Service and. above all, bad for patients? Will she clear up the uncertainty by making an early statement about the Government's intentions in these matters?

Mrs. Castle

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that disruption from any quarter is bad for the National Health Service. I have made it clear that the Government's policy is not one of abolition of private practice but of its separation from the National Health Service, and I shall be making a statement before too long.

Mr. Loyden

Will my right hon. Friend reaffirm that the concept behind the National Health Service still is to make available, when it is required, free medicine to everybody? Will she confirm that she will follow this principle? Will she also refute some of the arguments suggesting that the National Health Service is incapable of meeting the needs of people. particularly in the screening of breast cancer?

Mrs. Castle

I believe that there is a separate Question on that latter rather specialised point, but I entirely accept my hon. Friend's definition of the rôle, purpose and function of the National Health Service. It is my determination to strengthen it in that work. We accept as a basic principle that medical priorities should be the governing consideration in the National Health Service and not ability to pay. That is why we are separating the private beds from the NHS.

Mr. Evelyn King

On the question of private patients, will the Secretary of State pay a little less attention to what doctors say and a little less to what the party politicians say? Can she say how far the demand for private beds is growing or contracting? If she does not know the answer, will she do some research and find out?

Mrs. Castle

I would say categorically that from our information patients of course prefer to get service free if they can. One of the reasons why people pay is to jump the queue. One of the answers to that problem is to reduce the waiting list in the National Health Service, and that is what we are doing and have announced our policy so to do.