§ Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Health what representations he has received about the inquiry being held in private into the allegations made about the administration of the National Health Service within the Shrewsbury area of the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board; what advice was submitted by the regional hospital board; what requests he received from the medical consultants within the Shrewsbury area that the inquiry should be held in public; and if an open public inquiry will now be held.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithI have received representations on behalf of individual medical practitioners and from the trades council. The regional hospital board has accepted my decision that the inquiry should be held in private.
§ Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Health what correspondence he has received from the Shrewsbury Trades Council about alleged irregularities in charges made under the National Health Service since July, 1955; what replies he has made; what are the terms of reference of the inquiry appointed by him; and to what extent were the Trades Council consulted about the kind of investigations to be made.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithTwo letters. I have invited the Council to make available to the regional hospital board any facts in its possession which might help the board in the preparation of its state-100W posed at the Norfolk and Norwich Hosment of case to the committee of inquiry. This it has declined to do. The terms of reference are:
To inquire in accordance with Section 70 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, into allegations of irregularities in charging National Health Service patients for medical services in the Shrewsbury area and in particular the allegation that £25 had been paid with a view to procuring admission to a maternity bed at a hospital in Shropshire and to report to the Minister on the facts found.The answer to the last part of the Question is that it was not consulted.