§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of his statement of 21 February on the priority for placement of emergency medical admissions and its impact on elective surgery bed availability. [17243]
§ Mr. RichardsMy comments on the response of NHS trusts to the demand for emergency admissions were made at the launch of the 1996 patients charter.
My main message was that hospitals should not refuse to admit emergency cases unless all beds, other than child and maternity beds, are full.
This is in line with the recommendations of the emergency admissions action plan developed by senior health authority and trust staff.