§ 21. Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken and proposes to take to improve the facilities for patients on Merseyside requiring heart surgery.
§ Mr. MoyleThe provision and planning of facilities for heart surgery on Merseyside are matters for the Mersey regional health authority to determine. I understand that new cardiology equipment has been installed this year at Sefton general hospital and, with the exception of one item, is now fully operational. Since April an additional emergency operating theatre has been in use at Broadgreen hospital, alongside the two main threatres. The regional health authority is carrying out feasibility studies into the possibility of transferring medical cardiology from Sefton general and providing both the medical and surgical services at Broadgreen. The authority's view is that this would lead to more efficient working and they intend to give priority to such a development. A number of Liverpool patients have also been referred to NHS and private cardiac centres in London.