§ 108. Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Health what is the number of National Health Service women patients now in the ex-British Legion sanatorium at Nayland, Suffolk; the number whose homes are outside the East Anglian region; and whether arrangements can now be made to confine admittances to the region, instead of from as far away as Yorkshire and Surrey.
§ Mr. BevanOf 165 patients 116 are from outside the East Anglian Region and 103 are from one of the four metropolitan areas. It is contrary to National Health Service policy to confine hospital admissions to persons living within the boundary of the Regional Board administering the hospital in question, especially where the hospital is a specialised one.
§ Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Health why National Health Service women tuberculosis patients at Nayland Sanatorium, Suffolk, are sent some 50 miles away and back to Preston Hall, Maidstone, for operations; and whether, 186W in future, Nayland patients will be sent to the East Anglia region, or nearby hospitals, for operations.
§ Mr. BevanMost thoracic surgery on Nayland patients is now done at Pap-worth in the East Anglian Region. To reduce waiting periods some operations are still done at Preston Hall, and this must continue until alternative facilities are available in East Anglia.