§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many consultant hours have been available to National Health Service patients at the Birmingham and Midland eye hospital in each of the past five years; and how this figure compares with total consultant hours available.
§ Mr. Moyle:For each of the past five years seven consultants have been under contract to undertake a total of 34 sessions of 119 hours a week at the Birmingham eye hospital. Because of the incidence of annual leave, sick leave, study leave, together with associated NHS and teaching commitments, it is not possible to compare the total number of contracted hours with the hours actually available to patients.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many National Health Service operations have been performed at the Birmingham and Midland eye hospital in each of the past five years; and if he will distinguish between the main types of operation.
§ Mr. Moyle:The information is as follows:
department of the Birmingham and Midland eye hospital which took effect on 1st June 1978, outlining action proposed to restore and improve the service.
697W
§ Mr. Moyle:The restriction in service was made necessary by a change in treatment procedures introduced on 1st June 1978. Until that date some patients were treated by experienced senior nursing staff. It was then decided that all patients should be seen by medical staff. A review of the respective roles of medical and nursing staff in the treatment and care of emergency cases was then carried out and the arrangements were substantially modified and revised from 1st August 1978. The area health authority—teaching—has no plans to alter the present system of referral but is keeping the situation under general review.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on staff morale at Birmingham and Midland eye hospital in view of the report by the West Birmingham community health council that wards have had to be closed because of absence and that absence rates among kitchen staff have reached 75 per cent.
§ Mr. Deakins:I understand that there is a natural concern amongst staff over the future replacement and siting of the hospital and that, to allay such concern, the Birmingham area health authorityteaching—at its meeting in September 1978 reiterated its previous decision to maintain the Birmingham and Midland eye hospital as a reference centre for ophthalmology within the city, and eventually to transfer it as an identifiable unit to a district general hospital site.
Arrangements are in hand for the chairman of the authority to meet all the staff at the eye hospital to acquaint them personally with the area health authorityteaching's—plans for this specialty.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the average size of the National Health Service waiting list for operations carried out at the Birmingham and Midland eye hospital for each of the past five years.
§ Mr. Moyle:The information is as follows:
698W
Year Average Number on Waiting List 1973 … 1,035 1974 … 1,125 1975 … 1,446 1976 … 1,577 1977 … 1,833 1978 (to date) … 1,723
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects a common waiting list to be in operation at the Birmingham and Midland eye hospital.
§ Mr. Moyle:I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's reply to my right hon. Friend, the Member for Blackburn (Mrs. Castle) on 5th December.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement regarding the increase in waiting times in the out-patient department of the Birmingham and Midland eye hospital.
§ Mr. Moyle:I understand that waiting times for out-patient appointments reached a peak of 28 weeks at the end of June 1977 but there has since been a marked reduction in all consultant waiting lists to a level of 11–13 weeks at the end of September 1978. Urgent out-patient appointments can be arranged without delay where general practitioners make a request to the consultant personally.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the maintenance of the fabric of the Birmingham and Midland eye hospital.
§ Mr. Moyle:I am informed by the Birmingham area health authorityteaching—that the maintenance programme is regarded as appropriate, given the age of the building and the accepted need for the ultimate replacement of the hospital.