§ 67. Mr. Eadieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make a statement about the incident in Rosslynlee Hospital, Midlothian, where a patient was stripped of his clothing on arrival to facilitate the arrangements of the exchanging hospital;
(2) if he will take steps to amend the system in Scottish hospitals whereby patients on exchange from other hospitals are stripped of their clothes on arrival in order to have them sent back to the exchanging hospitals.
§ Mr. RossI understand that following the recent transfer of a patient from Hartwood Hospital, Lanarkshire, to Rosslynlee Hospital, Midlothian, the nurse who was escorting the patient asked for the return of his clothes so that he could take them back to Hartwood. The patient was accommodated in a private room and he was provided with new clothing by the receiving hospital as soon as possible.
I understand that the Mental Welfare Commission is inquiring into this matter. I shall be issuing guidance shortly to hospital authorities to prevent a recurrence of this kind of sitution.