HL Deb 16 March 1976 vol 369 cc145-7

2.40 p.m.

Baroness VICKERS

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 how much capital expenditure will be involved in the proposed transfer of the services provided at the present time at the Tidworth Military Hospital to Wroughton; and how much annual expenditure will be saved, allowing for the facilities which are being retained and the need to provide transport for the military families.

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

My Lords, it is estimated that the amalgamation of the Service hospitals at Tidworth and Wroughton will involve the expenditure of £110,000 for minor works services at Wroughton, and £25,000 for the provision of a medical reception station at Tidworth. It is estimated that there will be an annual saving of not less than £750,000, allowing for the cost of transport between Tidworth and Wroughton.

Baroness VICKERS

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply. Do the arrangements include the extra accommodation for the medical officers and nurses of Wroughton? Can the noble Lord say what is to happen to the Tidworth hospital? For example, are there to be the services there of an obstetrician, a surgeon and so on, providing adequate facilities for keeping this centre open?

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

My Lords, with regard to the expenditure at Wroughton, I have no specific figures relating to the medical staff itself. However, the breakdown of the money is spread as follows: out-patients department, £41,000; X-ray department, £35,500; re-allocation of the nursing school, £23,000; and alteration to the maternity department, £10,000. Since, as part of the rationalisation, there is a reduction in staff of 240, I am certain that there will be adequate accommodation for the medical staff at Wroughton and the residual staff at Tidworth.

With regard to the services still to be supplied at Tidworth, there will be a medical reception centre which will pro- vide a general practice, and a 25-bed medical reception station, with a full range of specialist out-patient clinics, including ante-and post-natal care, with X-ray, clinical sideroom and physiotherapy support. I cannot state specifically the range of specialist expertise always present at the medical reception centre, but obviously there will be a duty doctor in charge of the centre, in a position to call upon specialist aid if he should require it.

Baroness VICKERS

My Lords, may I ask one further question? What, then, is going to be the total saving? If we are going to have this major change, surely we need to know what is going to be the total amount that is going to be saved on expenditure.

Lord WINTER BOTTOM

My Lords, the saving, as I have said, is 240 medical staff and £750,000 a year.

Lord CLIFFORD of CHUDLEIGH

My Lords, is it not about time that the last two defence cuts, especially so far as the medical services are concerned, are laid to rest? Why abolish the best-run hospital in London—Millbank—so that it may become a repository for a load of bricks? What soldiers' families are going to be able to visit them in Greenwich, and how are you going to get the best consultants to treat the wounded from Northern Ireland way down there?

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

My Lords, that is another question.

Lord ST. JUST

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware—I am certain he is—that Tidworth is now a very large garrison town indeed? Though I realise that extensive cuts must take place, this is a very well established hospital which also deals with civilians from a fairly large area. Could not the Government possibly give this matter reconsideration in relation to this one hospital in that area because it is a training hospital besides being a nursing training hospital?

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

My Lords, these closures and reorganisations are forced upon us by the need to economise on defence expenditure and on expenditure in general, and at this time of stringency I think it is impossible to keep in existence facilities which are not properly used. In fact, I think only ten beds were occupied at Tidworth during the last year.

Lord WALLACE of COSLANY

My Lords, will my noble friend explain how far these changes and cuts are involved in the new, expensive and nuisance-making value to the Health Authority of the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital at Woolwich?

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

My Lords, that is another question.