HC Deb 19 February 1980 vol 979 cc147-8W
Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a list of those hospitals, hospital units and wards which have been temporarily closed since 3 May 1979, or have been proposed for permanent closure, listing in each case (a) area health authority responsible, (b) the name of the hospital or unit, (c) the type of accommodation or service provided at that hospital or unit, (d) the number of beds in the total hospital or unit affected (e) the nature of the variation of service proposed by the area health board, (f) the date at which a formal consultation document was issued by the area health authority, (g) whether or not the proposal was agreed by the area health authority, and (h) the date of decision by the area health authority, regional health authority, and him.

Dr. Vaughan

[pursuant to his reply, 29 January 1980, c. 614–181In my reply of 29 January, listing information about consultation documents issued by health authorities during the period 1 May 1979–31 December 1979 in respect of proposals for permanent hospital closures in England, the list showed that the Humberside area health authority (Yorkshire region) approved in December 1979 the closure of Westerlands children's hospital. This was incorrect—the AHA's formal consultative document was issued in November 1979 and no final decision had been taken by the AHA. The approval and date related to the entry immediately below ie the Sheffield AHA's (Trent region) approval in December 1979 to the closure of Wales court mental hospital.

The 12.79 date in the decision column in respect of Joyce Green hospital (SE Thames region) was also incorrect. No decision had by 31 December 1979 been made by the Kent AHA.