HC Deb 22 February 1994 vol 238 c140
8. Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the budget estimate for the United Leeds hospital trust.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Mr. Tom Sackville)

The forecast expenditure by the United Leeds Teaching Hospitals national health service trust for the current year is £165 million.

Mr. Battle

The Minister will know of the recent health ombudsman's report, which says that Leeds general infirmary failed in its duty to a 55-year-old neurological patient who was discharged against his family's interest into private nursing care. What steps has the Minister taken to ensure that there are no other patients in Leeds or elsewhere in private nursing care who ought to be properly and fully cared for by the national health service? Is not that appalling episode a classic example of the privatisation of the NHS, for which patients and their families are paying too high a price?

Mr. Sackville

We have made it clear that we acknowledge that that was a rare but unacceptable case in which procedures were not properly followed. We have made clear to all health authorities and trusts the proper discharge arrangements that should be followed.

Sir Donald Thompson

My hon. Friend will remember the debt that I owe to the national health service and to the Leeds general infirmary and its superb services, which are also available to my constituents. Will he ensure that the specialist services available in the United Leeds hospital trust are available over as wide a range as possible?

Mr. Sackville

We all rejoice in my hon. Friend's recovery. I remind him that I have visited the trust three times. I went to announce the new £70 million hospital for the Leeds general infirmary in 1992, and I went twice last year. I turned the sod, as they say in Yorkshire, for the new Chapel Allerton hospital, and then attended the topping-out ceremony only a few weeks later. On none of those happy occasions did I see the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) or any of his colleagues. Why? Because they were all skulking in some National Union of Public Employees office, planning new attacks on the NHS and all those who work in it.