§ Mr. John HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for health, what effect industrial action at Moss Side on 18 November 1987 and thereafter had on(a) patients in general and (b) Mr. Paul Cleeland.
§ Mrs. CurrieFrom 18 to 28 November 1987 members of the Prison Officers Association locked patients into their side rooms for prolonged periods of each day. Consequently normal off-ward activites, for example, occupational work, rehabilitation, education and recreation were disrupted. Management limited the effects of this by organising as much on-ward activity as possible including patient education. Some visits were also curtailed. The basic elements of patient care, medication, food and hygiene, were provided without interference and there was a continued high level of presence on the wards800W by doctors, senior nurses and other professionals. Neither the safety nor security of the public or patients was in jeopardy at any time.
As a result of the industrial action some patients have begun legal proceeedings against the POA and, as part of that, independent medical experts are presently assessing the effect of the action on the medical condition of individual patients. We deplore all industrial action in our hospitals.