§ Mr. Craigenasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider producing a White Paper on the problems of rheumatism and arthritis in Scotland.
§ Mr. Harry EwingWhile my right hon. Friend does not consider that a White Paper would at present make any significant contribution to progress, he fully recognises the need to alleviate suffering by continuing efforts in improving patient care and through research. The White Paper "The Health Service in Scotland: The Way Ahead" gives guidance to health boards on broad priorities, and these include the need for improvements in hospital and community health services for the physically handicapped. My right hon. Friend attaches great importance to research and keeps in close touch with the Medical Research Council and other bodies about priorities in this field.
1966 1976 Percentage change Average number of beds available daily … … 62,268 60,038 -3.6 Number of in-patients treated … … 640,950 709,056 +10.6 Total out-patient attendances … … 7,966,469 8,631,676 + 8.4 Note: In each case the figures relate to the 12 months ending 30th September. The figures reflect a general trend towards shorter duration of stay in hospital, which has been assisted by the provision of new accommodation and facilities in place of a larger number of beds in smaller, fragmented units; as a result, the service has been able to treat more patients in fewer beds.