§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the concern of patients and general practitioners regarding the length of time waited for orthopaedic outpatient appointments at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy; and if he will take steps to ensure that the necessary finance is available to the regional hospital board in order that a fourth orthopaedic consultant may be appointed.
§ Mr. RossI am aware of the position. It is for the regional board to allocate the finance which is made available to them each year for new developments. This orthopaedic post though urgently required was not among its first priorities for the current year. It will be giving it a high priority in the next financial year and in the meantime is taking interim measures to augment the service.