HC Deb 23 October 1984 vol 65 c540
6. Mr. Dalyell

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services how many people injured on the airport building site on the Falklands have been treated at National Health Service hospitals.

The Minister for Health (Mr. Kenneth Clarke)

None.

Mr. Dalyell

How long can a situation last in which those who have burns and other complex injuries find that their nearest hospital is 8,000 miles away in the northern hemisphere?

Mr. Clarke

That is not the case. A general practitioner and nursing staff are available in the Falklands to deal with people who have injuries. The more serious cases are brought back to this country. No one has had to attend an NHS hospital. So far as I am aware, no one has been short of the necessary treatment. To all those taking an objective view of the situation, that is the most important thing.