Dr. Jegerasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to alleviate the shortage in hospitals of X-ray film.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftDuring 1951, the amount of X-ray film supplied to the home market, of which much the greater part goes to hospitals, is likely to be about 7½ per cent. more than during 1950. Despite this increase, some hospitals are experiencing difficulty because of the steady increase in the demand of the medical services as a whole. A small increase in supplies is expected during the next few months, and a substantial increase early next year as a result of a major expansion in output. In the meantime, in consultation with my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Health, I am closely watching the position, and have made arrangements with the manufacturers to make emergency supplies available to hospitals in serious difficulty.