§ 3.25 p.m.
§ Lord DiamondMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
631 The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have in mind in order to maintain the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in its present state as an international centre for the management of orthopaedic problems.
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital is managed by the Bloomsbury Health Authority, which plans to relocate those important services which are affected by the termination of a lease. These plans do not jeopardise the RNOH's position as a centre of excellence in the field of orthopaedics.
§ Lord DiamondMy Lords, in view of the anxiety which I know is being felt, as both a Member of your Lordships' House and an ever grateful National Health Service patient at this hospital, may I say how much I am grateful to the noble Baroness for that Answer? I presume that the Answer which the noble Baroness has given refers to the Great Portland Street centre. Therefore I do not think that it would be too strong a request to seek her categorical assurance that the future of the Stanmore branch is equally secured.
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, Bloomsbury Health Authority's latest consultation document Towards a Strategy makes it quite clear that the authority has not come to any conclusion about the future plans for the Stanmore branch. If and when such plans are made, they will be the subject of full consultation in the usual way. If the community health councils concerned were to object, final decisions would be made by Ministers.
§ Lord KilmarnockMy Lords, would the noble Baroness tell the House whether the chairman of the regional health authority concerned has made any representation to the Secretary of State on this matter and, if so, what was the Secretary of State's reply?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonNo, my Lords, I cannot tell the noble Lord.
§ Lord KilmarnockMy Lords, can the noble Baroness discover the position?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, I shall see that a letter is written to the noble Lord.
§ Baroness Macleod of BorveMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend the Minister whether it is envisaged that the centre of excellence in Great Portland Street should be concentrated, as seems reasonable, at Stanmore, and that all the surgeons who are now performing wonderful operations should be transferred to Stanmoreen bloc?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, in answer to my noble friend, I would point out that the move is actually split. Consultations have been held on the move to the Middlesex buildings and it has been agreed. In the longer term the RNOH will occupy its own discrete unit of 50 beds and two operating 632 theatres in the Middlesex buildings. However, the final accommodation will be available only in 1987. Meanwhile, the Great Portland Street lease expires at the end of June this year. Noble Lords might be interested to know that the rental per annum until the end of the lease is at the moment £191. If there was a renewal of the lease, the cost would be £350,000 per annum.
§ Lord EnnalsMy Lords, while I would not for a moment suggest to the noble Baroness that there should be that kind of sum paid to retain the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London, is she not aware that there is a great deal of concern about the situation in Stanmore itself? This is partly because of the very run down condition of the buildings, most of which were built on a temporary basis, and also because of the acute shortage of nursing staff at Stanmore. In view of the excellence which this hospital has shown over very many years on a national basis—not just a regional basis and a Bloomsbury basis—is it not essential that from Bloomsbury, or regionally, or nationally there should be an infusion of funds in order that the Stanmore scheme, wherein will lie the future of the Hospital, is properly implemented, in order that it can provide the service which has been previously provided?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, I am aware of the faintly unsatisfactory state of the Stanmore premises. However, the noble Lord is no doubt himself aware that a new theatre will be built at Stanmore particularly for the purpose and that the accommodation will naturally be of the highest order in order to fulfil the needs of the patients who will be admitted.