§ 2.56 p.m.
§ Baroness Masham of IltonMy 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 what progress is being made in building the two new spinal injury units at Odstock Hospital and the RNOH, Stanmore, and with the rebuilding of the spinal injury unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
§ Baroness YoungMy Lords, I am pleased to say that excellent progress is being made. The main building works for the Odstock Unit are expected to start in August and will take two years to complete. Preparatory work is already under way. Building at Stanmore should start in November and be completed by May 1983. A temporary unit will be opening later this year to provide a service until the work is completed.
Detailed layout plans for the rebuilding of the spinal injuries unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital have been agreed by the project team, and essential preparatory building works will shortly be completed. The main works can then begin and will take about two years to complete.
§ Baroness Masham of IltonMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that interesting reply. May I ask whether she is aware that there is a very great and serious problem regarding the after-care of the ex-patients of Stoke Mandeville Hospital, of which there are about 5,000 on their books? There is no computer service and the administration is overloaded and therefore very inefficient. Also, there is no call-back system, and many patients get into serious problems related particularly to their bowels, bladders and pressure sores. Could the Government look into this very seriously? Is the noble Baroness further aware that in the last week I have heard of two cases through general practitioners contacting me and asking where they can send patients who are suffering from non-acute paraplegia for bladder and bowel treatment and advice?
§ Baroness YoungMy Lords, I deeply regret that there should have been any difficulties, but my information is that no formal complaints about difficulties of the recall system have been received either from individual patients at Stoke Mandeville Hospital or from the Spinal Injuries Association. May I suggest to the noble Baroness that if difficulties have arisen this is very much a matter to be resolved locally, and I know that the health authority would be very willing to discuss these matters and look into individual cases where there are problems.
§ Baroness Masham of IltonMy Lords, as chairman of the Spinal Injuries Association, may I ask the noble Baroness whether she is aware that unfortunately she has not got the correct information and that the Spinal Injuries Association will be pleased to supply her with this?
§ Baroness YoungMy Lords, I hope that the noble Baroness will write to me with her complaint in this way.