§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many doctors and consultants are now employed in Rochdale Group hospitals; and how many of that total are Commonwealth immigrants.
§ Mr. AlisonInformation in the form requested is not available, but there are at present 32 consultants and 61 other medical staff serving in the Rochdale group. Of these, five and 42 respectively are overseas-born.
§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider introducing legislation to permit patients and relatives, or dependants of deceased patients, to have access to all hospital records relating to them, unless the hospital management committee can show good cause why they should not do so, and in the case of dispute to appoint an independent assessor.
§ Sir K. JosephNo. This would not be in the best interests of patients on a number of grounds.
§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients were admitted to Rochdale Group Hospitals in 1972 suffering from tuberculosis; and how many of that total were Commonwealth immigrants.
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§ Mr. AlisonForty-eight patients were admitted to Rochdale Group hospitals in 1972 suffering from tuberculosis, and 27 were Commonwealth immigrants.
§ Mr. Milneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the future of hospital development in Blyth and South-East Northumberland arising from the recently published White Paper on the future of the National Health Service.
§ Mr. AlisonPlanning for the development of hospital services in Blyth and South-East Northumberland would become the responsibility of the proposed Northumberland Area Health Authority and the proposed Regional health Authority for Region 1. I cannot anticipate what changes, if any, the new authorities may wish to make to the present plans of the Newcastle Regional Hospital Board.
§ Sir R. Thompsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of public concern over the delay in settling the location of the new general hospital in Croydon, he will take steps to expedite this matter; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonThe site at Shirley was the subject of a planning appeal to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment by its owners, the Lambeth Borough Council, and the decision on the appeal is now awaited. In the meantime the regional hospital board, which is anxious to reach finality in this matter, is considering possible alternative sites.