South London Hospital for Women: Disposal (Hansard, 23 April 1985)

§ The Countess of Mar
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, following the recent closure of the South London Hospital for Women the South West Thames Regional Health Authority intends to dispose of the building and realise its full market value.

§ The Countess of Mar
My Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his Answer to my Question. May I ask him to request the health authority to bear in mind two very important factors when the proceeds from the sale are being allocated? First, while there is no longer any legal obligation for them to carry out the original trust, there is a very strong moral obligation that the fund should be allocated to the treatment of women by women. The second factor is the interim report by the Women's National Commission, which indicates clearly that there is a need for this kind of service, particularly for women in the 25 to 44 age group.

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, the Wandsworth Health Authority has given an assurance that wherever possible it will continue to provide patients in the specialties of obstetrics, gynaecology, general medicine and general surgery with the choice of being seen and treated by male or female doctors at other hospitals within the district. With regard to the Women's National Commission, I confirm that the Government are currently considering that report.

§ Baroness Jeger
My Lords, can the Minister explain why this hospital was shut in the first place, and how he can guarantee that women in that area can be treated by women doctors? Is he not just putting some hopefulness before the House without any certainty? Can he also tell us whether the waiting list in that area has lengthened or shortened as a result of the disgraceful closing down of this hospital?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, the reasons for the closure were well debated in this House at an earlier stage. I confirm that the closure is part of the improvement and rationalisation of acute services planned for the Wandsworth area and releases resources in the short term to help improve services for the mentally ill and in the longer term for the future development planned for St. George's Hospital.

Lord Wallace of Coslany
My Lords, is the noble Earl aware that previous policy was to offer the buildings and land of hospitals disposed of to any other Government department? Now the policy seems to be a quick sale and a quick profit.

The Earl of Caithness
No, my Lords; the policy is to achieve the best price and to reinvest in the health authorities.

§ Lord Stallard
My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl to be more specific on the alternative arrangements that are being made for women to be seen by women doctors? Does he recall that the principles were clearly accepted by his right honourable friend the Prime Minister in 1979, when we debated, after many years, the proposed closure of the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital which is now, thankfully, refurbished and flourishing? Will he be a little more specific about the alternative arrangements for women who desire to be treated by women doctors in the south London area?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, it is a little difficult for me to be specific because it is the responsibility of the individual health authorities. They are aware that certain women want to be treated by women doctors and they will try wherever possible to ensure that this happens. I am sure the noble Lord will agree with me that there are a number of difficulties.

§ Baroness Macleod of Borve
My Lords, is my noble friend the Minister aware that it is not necessarily a request to be treated by a woman doctor, since in some religions which are prolific in the southern part of this city many people hold to religious beliefs and are unable to be treated by men? Can the Minister put pressure to bear on the local DHA to ensure that there are plenty of beds for those people?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that question. We are very concerned about the ethnic minorities, but I understand that for the purposes of medical treatment it is not in any faith forbidden that they be seen by a male doctor.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, will the Minister be a little more explicit about what will happen to the endowment fund set up in the first place for the South London Hospital for Women; and what arrangements are being made to carry on this endowment fund?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I am sorry that I did not catch the first part of the noble Baroness's question.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, I asked the Minister to be a little more explicit about what will happen to the endowment fund which was set up in the first place to create the South London Hospital for Women and which is still in existence.

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, the matter of the endowment fund itself is a little wide of the Question.

§ Baroness Jeger
My Lords, can the Minister say on what authority he states that there is no religion in which women are made to feel that it is difficult for them to be dealt with by men doctors? Those of us who have worked for years with the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital, for example, find that many women feel that it is impossible and unacceptable for them to be seen by men doctors.

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I am sorry if I gave the House the impression that I categorically stated that; I said only that I understood it.

§ Lord Mishcon
My Lords, will the noble Earl the Minister accept that it is a little difficult on this side when questions as relevant as that of my noble friend are asked and she is told that it is wide of the Question? How can an endowment fund which is there, and its future, be irrelevant to the question of proposals for disposing of the hospital?

The Earl of Caithness
Because, my Lords, in view of the report of the Select Committee on Procedure of the House, I considered that supplementary to be slightly wide of the Question on the Order Paper, which relates specifically to the disposal of the South London Hospital for Women.