§ Mr. Hobdenasked the Minister of Health what is the percentage and number of private pay beds in the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, the Brighton General Hospital, excluding the maternity section, and the maternity section of Brighton General Hospital; and what is the comparative delay in respective treatments or surgical treatments between National Health Service patients and fee-paying patients.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonRoyal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton has 12 private pay beds, a percentage of 3.9 of the total. Brighton General Hospital has no private pay beds nor has its maternity department. In medical cases there is no delay for either fee-paying or National Health Service patients. In surgical cases average waiting times are four to six weeks, and seventeen weeks for private and National Health Service patients respectively, but urgent cases are dealt with at once.