§ 104. Mr. Mellishasked the Minister of Health if he is aware that regional hospital boards have had serious cuts in their estimates for 1958–59, and that it has created a crisis in so far that many hospital management committees may have to reduce their services to the public; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.
§ Mr. R. ThompsonThe sums made available to the boards—subject to the approval of Parliament—for hospital running costs in 1958–59, while falling well short of the boards' own requests, are substantially higher than their probable expenditure this year. My right hon. and learned Friend has asked them, in planning the most economical use of the sums available, to avoid curtailment of, or serious detriment to, services for patients; and he is satisfied that he can rely on their co-operation in achieving this result.
128Wcompare with the corresponding figures for similar periods during each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodIn view of the large amount of work involved in extracting the figures, I have given figures for February, 1953, and February, 1953, and February, 1958, only in the table below.