§ 27. Mr. Alportasked the Minister of Health how many additional beds have been made available in mental and mental deficiency hospitals in 1951, 1952 and 1953; and what further increase is anticipated for 1954.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodSchemes for additional beds have been authorised as follows:
80W
— Mental Hospitals Mental Deficiency Hospitals 1951–52 813 715 1952–53 409 629 1953–54 697 1,314 1,919 2,658 In 1954–55, in addition to the provision which boards are expected to make from their own capital resources, a special allocation has been made which should provide for about 800 mental hospital beds and 2,200 mental deficiency hospital beds. Completion of these schemes will be spread over more than one year.
§ 37. Mr. Hastingsasked the Minister of Health if he is aware that fewer beds are reserved for mental deficiency cases in the area of the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board but that the waiting list for these beds is greater in that region than in any of the other three metropolitan boards; and what action he proposes to take.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodYes. The Regional Hospital Board are pressing on as fast as they can with the provision of more beds of this kind and have opened 103 this year.
§ Mr. Hastingsasked the Minister of Health how many beds are allocated for mental deficiency cases; and what are the waiting lists for them in the areas of administration of each of the extra metropolitan regional hospital boards.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodThe numbers on 31st December, 1952, were as follows:
Region Beds allocated Waiting lists Newcastle 2,814 856 Leeds 3,306 763 Sheffield 3,826 1,093 East Anglian 1,292 337 Oxford 1,686 262 South Western 7,214 167 Wales 1,822 1,127 Birmingham 5,307 609 Manchester 6,949 853* Liverpool 505 360 * The waiting list for the Manchester Region includes some patients who are also included in the waiting list for the Liverpool Region.