§ Mr. Jon Owen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines his Department has issued to hospitals about segregating elderly patients from other patients.
§ Mr. YeoThere is no policy of segregation for acute medical treatment; but some health problems in elderly people are best treated by specialist teams, which will usually be concentrated in one part of a hospital designed to cater for the special needs of elderly people. Decisions292W about the most appropriate type and place of treatment are for local clinical judgment. The Department has no proposals to issue guidelines.