HC Deb 26 October 1977 vol 936 cc744-6W
Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set out the latest available figures of bed occupancy for: (a) medical, and (b) surgical beds at each of the hospitals in the Greenwich and Bexley Health Area.

Mr. Moyle

The latest percentage rates are for 1976:

Medical Surgical
St. Nicholas … 69.7 74.3
Dreadnought … 61.9 69.6
Greenwich District … 71.8 75.8
Brook General … 77.5 84.8
Memorial … 91.9 54.8
Queen Mary's … — 79.9

Beds at the Eltham and Mottingham, Bexley and Welling and Erith and District Hospitals are not allocated to specialties.

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the results of his consultations on the extent to which facilities at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, will be used by NHS patients.

Mr. Moyle

I have little to add to the reply I gave my hon. Friend on 19th May 1977. Consultations are still in progress. —[Vol. 932, c.244–5.]

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals are currently being considered by the South East Thames Regional Health Authority for the future location of the regional specialist units now at the Brook Hospital, Woolwich; and when a firm decision is expected.

Mr. Moyle

The regional health authority is not currently proposing the transfer of these specialties. The previous suggestion that they might be relocated was in the context of rationalisation of services in the Greenwich and Bexley area. The rationalisation plan submitted to my right hon. Friend by the regional authorities does not include any proposal to relocate these specialties.

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set out the current annual running costs for each of the hospitals in the Greenwich and Bexley Health Area, indicating for each the daily cost per occupied bed.

Mr. Moyle

The information is as follows:

Hospital Revenue* expenditure 1st April 1976 to March 1977 Daily cost per occupied bed
£'000 £
Bexley 5,216 13.63
Bexley Maternity 242 44.95
Bexley and Welling 120 17.90
British Hospital for Mothers and Babies 790 41.56
Brook General 7,179 41.82
DreadnoughtSeamen's 1,409 32.08
Eltham and Mottingham 360 21.10
Erith and District 455 40.03
Goldie Leigh 835 23.61
Greenwich District 8,847 36.56
Memorial 1,375 24.19
Queen Mary's 6,264 34.07
St. Nicholas 3,194 34.88
The Gables 185 15.79
*Includes expenditure on out-patients, accidents and emergencies etc. as well as in-patients.

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients were awaiting operations in each of the main specialties at St. Nicholas Hospital, Plumstead, Greenwich District Hospital and the Brook General Hospital at the most recent convenient date, indicating how these figures compare with the same date in the six previous years.

Mr. Moyle

Information at 30th June 1977 is:

St. Nicholas
General Surgery … … 310
Traumatic/Orthopaedic … … 2
Gynaecology … … 261
Urology … … Nil
Greenwich District
General Surgery … … 237
Traumatic/Orthopaedic … … 35
Ophthalmology … … 154
Gynaecology … … 90
Urology … … 23

Brook General
General Surgery … … 113
Traumatic/Orthopaedic … … 94
Urology … … 27
Neurosurgery … … 15
Thoracic … … 9
Dental … … Nil
ENT … … 72

Figures at 30th June are not available for previous years, but I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 2nd March 1977, in which I set out the figures at 31st December for each year.—[Vol. 927, c. 241–2.]

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current waiting time for operations in each of the main surgical specialties at St. Nicholas Hospital, Plumstead, the Brook General Hospital, Woolwich, and Greenwich District Hospital; and how this compares with the situation over the past six years.

Mr. Moyle

I cannot add to the information I gave my hon. Friend on 14th March.—[Vol. 928, c.83–6.]