§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are taken in the National Health Service to coordinate and compare the case histories of persons who suffered injury during the war, now that the specialised war-wounded hospitals have given way to the treatment of such persons within general hospitals.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisWhen the former war pensioner hospitals were transferred to the National Health Service in 1953, most became general hospitals. However, some still continue to make special arrangements to treat war pensioners for their war disabilities.
Within my Department, the system for considering claims for war pensions and the continued oversight of persons who suffer from war disabilities ensures that there is full co-ordination and comparison of medical information about injuries and diseases related to war. Medical staff of the Department specialising on war pensions work obtain, with the pensioners' consent, information about war pensioners who have received treatment in hospital for their war disabilities. This information, coupled with that obtained from medical boards, has resulted in our medical staff acquiring a considerable depth of knowledge of war disabilities. In particular, medical information concerning former Far East prisoners of war (FEPOWs) is fully collated and studied by a special unit and investigations and 530W treatment of FEPOWs is centred on three units in London, Liverpool and Edinburgh.
Special surveys are undertaken into particular medical questions related to war disabilities from time to time.