§ Sir R. Russellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the death of a baby in Wembley Hospital following the inability of the casuality officer on duty to perform a tracheotomy operation.
§ Sir K. JosephI have not yet received full details of the inquiries into this tragic case, but I understand from the North-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board that the baby was brought to Wembley Hospital at 8.35 p.m. on 8th February and that, after attempting unsuccessfully to remove the obstruction, the casualty officer decided that tracheotomy was required, but did not feel able to undertake it himself. The casualty department at Wembley is not a major accident and emergency department, and350W the doctor decided to transfer the baby to the accident and emergency department at the Central Middlesex Hospital, which is about two miles from Wembley. The baby was dead on arrival at Central Middlesex Hospital.