§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the excellent reputation of Booth Hall Children's Hospital, Manchester and the centralisation of facilities, he will provide funds for an adolescent unit, additional mothers' beds and a campaign to alleviate the current shortage of trained nursing personnel specialising in the paediatric sector.
§ Mr. MoyleNo. Regional health authorities are responsible for the allocation of funds to area health authorities and for planning services in conjunction with them. Proposals for reorganising hospital services for children were set out in a consultative document issued by the Manchester Area Health Authority (Teaching) in December 1977. These include the provision of separate facilities for adolescent in-patients and additional mothers' beds at Booth Hall Hospital. The authority is now considering comments on the proposals which have been received from the statutory and voluntary bodies consulted. The shortage of trained paediatric nurses working on children's wards is recognised as a complex national problem of long standing. My Department is discussing with the General Nursing Council for England and Wales the reasons for the continuing shortage and possible solutions to it.