§ Captain Kerbyasked the Minister of Health on how many occasions in the last five years critically ill patients in West Sussex have been refused immediate admission to hospital on the ground that no hospital bed was available for them in the area, in view of the case of the late Mrs. F. Bartlett, who died in the Atkinson Morley Hospital, London, of a broken blood vessel in the brain on 11th February, 1957, having been sent to a London hospital from West Sussex, after a delay of two days; and if he is satisfied with the operation of the local emergency bed service in question.
§ Mr. R. ThompsonCritically ill patients in this area who require emergency treatment in hospital are admitted without delay, and I am not aware of any such patient who has been refused immediate admission. The late Mrs. Bartlett was referred to the local emergency bed service not as requiring emergency treatment but requiring hospital care. The operation of this service appears to be satisfactory so far as acute emergency cases are concerned, but I am aware of difficulties in securing the admission of patients to chronic sick beds owing to shortage of accommodation which the regional board are making good as quickly as circumstances permit.