§ 4. Mr. Peter Viggers (Gosport)If he will make a statement on future hospital provision on the Gosport peninsula. [102264]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Ms Gisela Stuart)The Portsmouth and South East Hampshire health authority is currently preparing detailed proposals on future hospital provision in the area and these proposals will be subject to full statutory public consultation in the new year.
653 In the meantime, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire health authority is working with the Defence Secondary Care Agency and other key players to ensure that effective patient care is maintained for both NHS and service patients.
§ Mr. ViggersIs the Minister aware that my constituents will not regard that answer as satisfactory, any more than they will regard as satisfactory the fact that she could write to me last week almost in the role of a casually interested observer of the problems of hospital care in the Gosport peninsula? Ministers are responsible. The Government have created the problem with the closure of the Royal Hospital Haslar. It is for the Government, through the NHS, to resolve the problem. Will the Minister give active support to the NHS taking over Haslar facilities?
§ Ms StuartI take great issue with the assumption that I am just a casual observer of events in the Gosport peninsula. It is important that efficient services are delivered to the local population. There has already been a £72 million private finance initiative investment in the Queen Alexandra hospital to improve facilities. Similarly, the hon. Gentleman is more than aware that extensive discussions are going on at the moment. I have written to my hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces to facilitate negotiations about the continued use of the Haslar site. Negotiations are going on with the ambulance service to ensure that patients who need urgent care are stabilised during transport. We have made a firm commitment, and an extensive consultation process will go on over the next three months to ensure that the people of the Gosport peninsula receive appropriate services.