HL Deb 22 February 1962 vol 237 cc808-9

3.7 p.m.

LORD DERWENT

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why it is possible for some hospitals to avoid long queues at their out-patient departments, whereas at other hospitals patients are sometimes kept waiting for two or three hours before being seen by a doctor; and whether there are any steps that can be taken by Her Majesty's Government to rectify this situation.]

LORD NEWTON

My Lords, hospital authorities have been given full advice on how to arrange appointment systems for out-patients so that they need to wait as short a time as possible. My right honourable friend the Minister of Health will be glad to investigate any specific cases which my noble friend may have in mind.

LORD DERWENT

My Lords, am I right in believing that my right honourable friend the Minister has asked hospitals to investigate an appointments system; and has my right honourable friend, since he asked them to do so, called for a report on how that system is working?

LORD NEWTON

My Lords, in 1949 the hospital authorities were given advice about ways to reduce out-patient waiting time. In 1954, this was elaborated in a further memorandum. In 1958, the then Minister commended to the hospital authorities a published report of his Organisation and Methods Service on out-patient waiting time. The report made a number of recommendations for improving efficiency and suggested that a reasonably effective system should ensure that 75 per cent. of out-patients were seen in half an hour and that not more than 3 per cent. to 5 per cent. had to wait more than an hour. In reply to my noble friend's second supplementary question asking for a report on the extent to which hospitals are using the appointment system, I will ask my right honourable friend to consider that suggestion.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, in view of the fact that the noble Lord said the Minister would investigate any oases which were brought to his attention, can we be told whether he has already investigated the cases of those hospitals which were mentioned by the right reverend Prelate the Lord Bishop of Lichfield last week during a debate, when he said that patients were "herded together like cattle"?

LORD NEWTON

My Lords, I am afraid I cannot answer that question without notice; but I will find out.

LORD STONHAM

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the expression "queue", which is used by the noble Lord in the Question, is a misnomer, because although patients may have to wait in out-patient departments they are usually sitting down? Is the noble Lord further aware that even with an appointments system they often wait a long time because they arrive half an hour or an hour before the appointment and enjoy the warmth and comfort and discussing their ailments with other patients?

LORD NEWTON

My Lords, that may be true; but I doubt whether it is in the case where hospitals use the appointments system as recommended by my right honourable friend's Organisation and Methods Service. As regards queueing, I should have thought it was just as possible to queue sitting down, or even lying down, as it is standing up.