§ Mr. Ormeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is now taking to safeguard the interests of 330W National Health Service patients, especially in regard to quality of treatment and number of beds available, in the light of the increasing use of private health insurance schemes.
§ Sir K. JosephI do not accept that the use of private health insurance schemes is endangering the interests of National Health Service patients or that safeguards are needed beyond those provided in Sections 1 and 2 of the Health Services and Public Health Act. 1968.
§ Mr. Ormeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effect he estimates a continuation of the present 7 per cent. annual growth rate in the number of those subscribing to private health and medical schemes will have on the number of people using National Health Service facilities in five years' time.
§ Sir K. JosephJust under 2.1 per cent. of patients treated in National Health Service hospitals are private patients. I have at present no reason to believe that this proportion, which has remained virtually unchanged over recent years, will show any marked increase in the foreseeable future.