§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he is aware that many acute medical cases referred by general practitioners on emergency grounds to the Royal Gwent Hospital have been refused admission this winter because of shortage of medical beds; and whether, to alleviate these problems, he will now announce the commencement date of Scheme V of the hospital development plan.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasI would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 1st March.
I am not aware of any refusal to admit patients needing emergency treatment.—[Vol. 812, c. 299.]
§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for Wales on how many days during 1970 were extra beds over and above the maximum allocated bed complements erected in the Royal Gwent Hospital's medical wards; whether he will visit and inspect the conditions in this hospital; and when it is intended to commence Scheme V of the development programme of this hospital.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasI would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 1st March.
During 1970 there were extra beds over and above the maximum allocated beds erected in the medical wards on 115 days.
My hon. Friend the Minister of State visited the Royal Gwent Hospital on 2nd February.—[Vol. 812, c. 299.]
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§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the present waiting list for general surgery at the Royal Gwent Hospital; what is the average waiting time for surgical cases; and, in order to alleviate present delays, if he will authorise Phase V of the hospital development to be commenced without any delay after the completion of Phase IV of the programme now in hand is completed.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasI would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 1st March.
The present waiting list for general surgery is 645. The average waiting time for non-urgent cases is 14 months.—[Vol. 812, c. 299.]
§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many patients are on the ear, nose and throat waiting lists of the Royal Gwent Hospital; whether he is aware that overcrowding at this hospital necessitates the inefficient and uneconomic spread of ear, nose and throat beds throughout various wards; and whether, to alleviate the present difficulties, he will consult with the Wales Hospital Board to ensure that Phase V of the development plan of the hospital is commenced without any hiatus after the completion of Phase IV.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasI would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 1st March.
There are 1,285 in-patients and 451 out-patients on the ear, nose and throat waiting lists at this hospital.—[Vol. 812, c.299.]
§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he is aware of the bed use figures of the Royal Gwent Hospital, and that the bed use figures of St. Thomas's and other London teaching hospitals is approximately half that of the Royal Gwent Hospial; and whether, in order to avoid seriously ill patients from the constituency of the hon. Member for Pontypool being discharged too quickly, he will now authorise the commencement of Scheme five of the development of this hospital in 1972.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasI would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 1st March. The 1969 bed occupancy 415W figures for St. Thomas's are in fact slightly higher than those for the Royal Gwent. —[Vol. 812, c. 299.]