§ Mr. ASTORasked the President of the Local Government Board if he will state how many sanatoria there are in England with a minimum of 100 beds and having an extent of ground equal to an average of half an acre per bed
§ Mr. ASTORasked the President of the Local Government Board (1) how many sanatoria there are in England with less than 100 beds, but having sufficient grounds to enable them, when extended, to provide 100 beds or more, with an average of half an acre per bed; (2) how many inspectors have been appointed for the purpose of inspecting institutions in which persons recommended for sanatorium 1366W benefit may be received subject to the approval by the Local Government Board of these institutions; (3) whether he will state how many dispensaries are at the present date prepared to deal with insured persons; how many of such dispensaries had been inspected for approval before the 15th July; how many have been approved since that date; (4) how many beds in existing sanatoria will have been approved and will be empty and available for the reception of insured persons on 1st August; (5) how many sanatoria have a whole-time medical man in charge; (6) how many sanatoria had been inspected by the Local Government Board before 15th July with a view to receiving insured persons, how many beds had been so approved; and (7) how many beds are available in existing sanatoria for the accommodation of insured persons at a rate of about 30s. a week, and how many have been approved?
§ Mr. BURNSSo far as my information extends, there are in England, at the present time, excluding Poor Law institutions, eight sanatoria or other institutions for the treatment of tuberculosis, with 100 beds or more. Of these, two only have an extent of ground of half an acre or more per bed. Complete information as to the extent of ground attached to every existing sanatorium is not available, but there are at least eight in which the area of land is fifty acres or more, although the number of beds is at present less than 100. A new sub-department of the Local Government Board has been formed to deal with tuberculosis, and the medical staff has been enlarged by the appointment of an additional assistant medical officer and two additional inspectors. This staff is being utilised for the inspection of institutions and for other purposes in connection with the treatment of tuberculosis, but I anticipate that further additions may be necessary in the near future.
There are, according to my information, between fifty and sixty dispensaries in England for the treatment of tuberculosis, and I have no reason to doubt that all these institutions would be prepared to treat insured persons. The National Insurance Act provides that institutions for the treatment of such persons should be approved by the Board, and in their circular letters the Board have drawn attention to this requirement and have stated what information they should receive in connection with applications for their 1367W approval. I have contemplated that any institution desiring approval would make application accordingly and I have no doubt that as soon as any arrangements are proposed by the recently constituted insurance committees for the treatment of insured persons at dispensaries, the authorities of the dispensaries will apply for the necessary approval. At present only two such applications have been received; in one case the dispensary has already been inspected, and I propose to approve of this institution provisionally for a period of six months. The other application was received yesterday, and I have arranged for the dispensary to be inspected to-morrow. I may say, however, that I have complete information as to many of the other dispensaries, and in such cases it will not be necessary to direct an inspection before giving approval for a limited period.
It should be added that the medical officers of many of the existing dispensaries do not fulfil the conditions in respect of salary, etc., recommended for the chief tuberculosis officer in the interim report of the Departmental Committee. The Board have already approved for a period of six months of eleven sanatoria and other residential institutions containing 420 beds, and have communicated with *he authorities of seventy-five other institutions containing about 3,500 beds, offering to approve of these institutions for a similar period. I cannot say how many beds in these institutions will be available for the reception of insured persons on the 1st August.
Seventy-one of the existing sanatoria in England have resident medical officers, but I cannot say in how many cases the medical officer devotes the whole of his time to the work of the sanatorium. In some cases the head of the sanatorium is also in private practice. In reply to the question as to the inspection of sanatoria, I may repeat what I have said in regard to dispensaries, namely, that I have complete information as to many of the existing sanatoria in England, and in such cases it will not be necessary to direct an inspection before giving approval for a limited period. I have already given the number of beds in the sanatoria and other residential institutions which have been approved. There are about 3,000 beds in existing sanatoria for which a charge of 35s. per week or less is made, but I have no information as to the number of these beds which are available for insured persons.
1368WAs the hon. Member is aware, I had proposed to issue a circular in January last, urging councils of counties and county boroughs to organise schemes of treatment in dispensaries, sanatoria, and other institutions, which should be available for the reception of insured persons recommended for sanatorium benefit by insurance committees. The issue of that circular was delayed in consequence of the appointment of the Departmental Committee. The Committee made their first Report at the end of April last, and on the 14th of May the Local Government Board, after consultation with the Treasury and Insurance Commission, issued a circular letter to councils of counties and county boroughs, commending the Committee's Report to their serious consideration, and urging them to ascertain the needs of the areas under their jurisdiction and to formulate schemes. A large number of schemes1 have been prepared, and, subject to satisfactory financial arrangements being arrived at, they will be brought into operation without unnecessary delay. The moneys available for defraying the cost of treating insured persons are in the hands of insurance committees. These bodies have only recently been constituted, and I have suggested to local authorities that they should at once put themselves in communication with the insurance committees.