HL Deb 25 May 1976 vol 371 cc121-2
Lord PLATT

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 whether they can state what steps are being taken to cope with the rapid increase in the waiting list for operations at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital which has occurred since the main operating theatre had to be closed in March this year.

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, gynaecological and surgical facilities currently provided for use by the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital's own consultants and staff at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital will be increased from 1st June, when these facilities are to be provided from the Whittington Hospital.

Lord PLATT

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his attempts to find solutions to this very difficult problem, do Her Majesty's Government agree that, however acceptable the attempts may be, they are really quite inadequate for the situation, and that the gynaecological waiting list has gone up from 98 to 260 in the last two and a half months, which for four surgeons is becoming an absolutely impossible situation?

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government do not consider the arrangements it has been possible to I make are by any means ideal. We recognise that the Whittington Hospital facilities will be initially for six theatre sessions and 25 beds, which is to be set against the ten theatre sessions previously available at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital. So in that sense they cannot be considered adequate. We hope that within the next three or four months, when we hope facilities will improve and when the plan to resite the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital has been decided upon, the situation will he, if not back to normal, perhaps even an improvement.

Viscount MONCK

My Lords, as we are on medical questions, is the noble Lord aware that that famous doctor, now Lord Maybray-King, is today celebrating his 75th birthday, and would the noble Lord agree we offer him our sincere congratulations?