§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many (a) male and (b) female patients are currently awaiting transfer from special hospitals to National Health Service hospitals; where they are located currently; how many have been waiting four years or more; how many have been waiting three to four years, how many two to three years, how many one to two years, and how many up to a year; what is the reason for the delays; and what steps are being taken to expedite the transfers;
(2) if he will list those National Health Service hospitals that are still refusing to take patients from the special hospitals; and, in each case, what was the reason for the refusal.
§ Mr. MoyleThe numbers as at 31st May 1978 of special hospital patients considered by their responsible medical officers to be suitable for transfer to NHS hospitals and the periods they have been waiting since the recommendation was made were:
of patient, including those awaiting transfer from special hospitals, whose placement presents a problem, the numbers involved, the hospitals in which it would be most appropriate to place them, and what additional staff and facilities if any, are needed to provide reasonable safeguards for staff.
I regret that to provide details of the reasons for delay in each individual case and the reasons given by individual hospitals for refusing to accept a particular patient, or particular categories of patient, would involve disproportionate cost.