§ Lord MolloyMy 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 there is any truth in reports in the Guardian newspaper of 29th October that two former Ministers in the Department of Health and Social Security have been involved in endeavours to have prospective National Health Service patients diverted to a private hospital; and if so what action they propose to take.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Elton)My Lords, the endeavours to which the noble Lord's Question refers were directed at assisting a number of health authorities in the long established policy of using facilities outside the National Health Service for the benefit of National Health Service patients where that constitutes the best use of the resources available. This policy maximises the services available to patients, and the appropriate action is to continue it.
§ Lord MolloyMy Lords, would the noble Lord not agree that when things like this appear in newspapers there should be a full explanation of what has really happened so that people should not be left to think harmful things because of innuendoes or improper or incomplete press reports? I ask the noble Lord to consider that there should be full Government statements when something like this appears in the press about Ministers and such statements are denied.
§ Lord EltonMy Lords, nothing unusual or untoward has happened and it would not be possible to have a public inquiry into every piece of correspondence that issues from my department.
§ Lord GisboroughMy Lords, would my noble friend agree that it would be desirable if more beds could be found for National Health patients in hospitals funded by private enterprise at prices less than those in National Health hospitals, and that their use would be a good step rather than a bad one?
§ Lord EltonMy Lords, the Government's intention is to make the greatest range and excellence of service that is possible available to the public through the National Health Service. At present about 3,000 beds in private hospitals and nursing homes are used by the NHS on a contractual basis.
§ Lord MolloyMy Lords, would the noble Lord not agree that what people are thinking—perhaps incorrectly—is that there is a possibility of Ministers getting in, so to speak, on the ground floor when they have an advantage and being able to make money by getting people who would normally have the National Health Service to take up private medicine?
§ Lord EltonMy Lords, I do not think the noble Lord wishes to imply that my honourable and right honourable friends were doing anything of the sort. What my honourable and right honourable friends were doing was providing the means whereby area health authorities could avail themselves of resources available to them in the private sector. There is nothing unusual in that, and nothing improper.