§ 58. Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to have completed the transfer of patients who do not need to be detained in the special hospitals to National Health Service hospitals.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe transfer of patients from the special hospitals to National Health Service hospitals is a continuing process. Our aim is to reduce the backlog of patients awaiting transfer and to keep to a minimum the time for which individual patients are kept waiting after they become ready for transfer. There has recently been a significant improvement in the number of transfers and my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State, the Lord Elton, is continuing to monitor the position.