§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 6 December,Official Report, column 84, if he will make a detailed statement on the facilities which have been closed in Crosshouse hospital by the North Ayrshire and Arran NHS trust.
§ Mr. StewartThere have been no reductions in service but there are two wards for which there are planned changes in use.
In its first six months the trust has treated 400 more in-patients, 1,900 more day patients and 1,500 more out-patients compared with the same period last year. In orthopaedic surgery and gynaecology, changes in service delivery patterns have meant that fewer in-patient beds are required to meet an increased demand for services.
488WOrthopaedic day surgery has increased by 83 per cent. and in-patient activity by 11 per cent. following the appointment of an additional consultant orthopaedic surgeon and the opening of a £1 million purpose-planned day surgery unit. As day surgery patients no longer require to be cared for in a hospital ward, a 30-bedded orthopaedic ward will now be used to provide expanded and improved in-patient facilities for renal and haematology patients.
Gynaecological day surgery has increased by 20 per cent. compared with last year and this improvement in clinical practice means that consultants require 26 fewer gynaecological in-patient beds to treat an increased number of patients. A gynaecology ward will shortly become available for use as a decanting facility which will ensure that the planned programme of ward upgrading at Crosshouse hospital can proceed without inconveniencing patients and with no reduction in the number of patients treated.