HC Deb 19 December 1979 vol 976 cc602-4
3. Mr. Adams

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with the structure of the National Health Service in Scotland.

Mr. Fairgrieve

My right hon. Friend's proposals for changes were set out in a consultative paper "Structure and Management of the NHS in Scotland" published on 11 December.

Mr. Adams

Against the background of the Minister's recent public statement as reported in The Scotsman, will he tell the House precisely with what he intends to replace the structure of the National Health Service in Scotland and when? Does he agree that his utterances as reported in The Scotsman do nothing for the confidence of the health boards or the people working in the Health Service? Does he further agree that the only solution to the problems of the Health Service in Scotland is a massive increase in public expenditure?

Mr. Fairgrieve

My right hon. Friend's consultative document, which was reported in The Scotsman, asks for replies by 30 April. It is clearly a consultative document, and we are asking for opinions from all concerned. I am sure that we shall get sensible opinions and achieve a more efficient Health Service at the end of the day.

Mr. Ancram

Does my hon. Friend agree that there are too many administrators and paper-pushers in the National Health Service in Scotland? Will he confirm that he is taking steps to restore the balance between administrators and medically qualified staff, to the benefit of the patients, for whom the Service is there?

Mr. Fairgrieve

I hope that that fact will come out in the observations that I receive. Our intention is to get the effort to the sharp end of the Service, and that is why we have suggested, for example, that those concerned look at the role of districts and health councils.

Mr. John Home Robertson

Can the Minister recall who was responsible for the reorganisation of the Health Service which is coming in for so much criticism?

Mr. Fairgrieve

I must inform the hon. Gentleman that there was no reorganisation in Scotland of the type that he is suggesting.

Mr. Peter Fraser

Is the Minister aware that the waiting list for orthopaedic patients in Scotland, which dramatically increased during the industrial troubles of last winter, has not yet been seriously reduced? In any reorganisation of the National Health Service in Scotland, will he do all that he can to ensure that the effort is directed to making sure that people with painful conditions get the treatment that they need?

Mr. Fairgrieve

Regrettably, I accept that that is the position, and we shall do everything that we can to prevent its occurring again.

Mr. George Robertson

Is the Minister aware that although his consultative document was published last Tuesday the first sight that hon. Members had of it was when 25 copies were placed in the Library last Friday afternoon? The Vote Office still has no supplies of that document available for hon. Members, and I checked on that before I came into the Chamber. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that that is scandalous? When will the Government decide to run the country through Parliament and not through press releases in Edinburgh?

Mr. Fairgrieve

The adjective "scandalous" should be applied to more serious matters. My Department regrets very much that these 25 copies were not in the Library sooner, and I shall take steps to see that that sort of thing does not happen again. However, there is no question of a consultative document of that nature being put in the Vote Office.