Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (Hansard, 2 February 1994)

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, when the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital was opened in April 1993, there was a proposal to close the accident and emergency department of the Charing Cross Hospital with a significant amount of acute work being transferred to the new hospital.Consequently, 163 beds have not been brought into use pending the review of services at the Hammersmith and Charing Cross Hospitals and the outcome of the review of accident and emergency services.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, I thank the Minister for her reply. Is she aware that five hospitals which closed—Westminster, St. Stephen's, the West London, the Westminster Children's Hospital and St. Mary Abbots—have all been absorbed into that brand new hospital? Is she further aware that the senior nursing staff and junior doctors spend a great deal of time scratching round to find beds for patients, which is extremely disturbing for seriously ill patients?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, I am not aware that that is the situation. On the contrary, I know that that hospital has increased the number of patients whom it has treated during the year. In fact, because of the rationalisation which took place, £23 million per year has been saved, which has gone back into additional care for patients.

§ Lord Howell
My Lords, since the Westminster Hospital closed, accident and emergencies now have to be ferried to distant parts. Has account been taken of the fact that it may be impossible to provide emergency treatment for the vast numbers of people who come to Westminster, both to work and as tourists? Will the Government take into consideration the situation if St. Thomas' Hospital also closes, which is being considered at present? That may have extremely serious implications for the emergency cover of the whole of Westminster. We should be glad to have the Minister's assurance that those matters are being taken care of.

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, the accident and emergency service is one of the most important services which the National Health Service offers. Clearly, if any accident and emergency department were to close, we should have to be sure that the services which it had offered could be transferred in a way which was acceptable.

§ Lord Peyton of Yeovil
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that those who were most closely responsible for the planning of the new Chelsea and 1265 Westminster Hospital—and I know that she was not one of them—have produced a monument which we could not afford in the first place and which we now cannot afford to use fully?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, my noble friend has some interesting views, many of which I agree with. But on this occasion, I must demur.

§ Baroness Jay of Paddington
My Lords, does the Minister agree that what she said about the reorganisation of the Charing Cross Hospital and other accident and emergency departments in West London merely illustrates what many of my noble friends have been saying for some time; namely, that in London the market, allowed to run of its own free will, simply will not provide the right health services for people in the right place at the right time?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, we have seen remarkable results from the NHS reforms. We are seeing more people treated year on year. We are seeing increases in the technology and sophistication in the type of operations which the National Health Service is now able to provide for people who are sick. That has come about because of the competition that we have introduced within the National Health Service. However, we have accepted that London is a special case. That is why we set up the London Implementation Group which is ensuring that the changes that take place are well managed.

§ Baroness Masham of IIton
My Lords, does the Minister agree that in this developed capital, London, patients should not be treated on trolleys? That happens in many of our London teaching hospitals, including the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, those are very isolated cases. I refute any claim that it is happening everywhere. It is very interesting when one looks at hospitals: in some cases it is the instance; in others, it is not. That is not necessarily to do with resources; it is to do with the way in which the services are managed.