§ Mr. Bowen Wellsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he proposes to take to overcome the difficulties in transferring patients from the special hospitals which are described in the report "Transfer of Special Hospital Patients" published on 5 March by the special hospitals research unit.
§ Sir George YoungThis most useful report, commissioned by the DHSS, pinpoints the various factors which combine to make it difficult to transfer special hospital patients to local hospitals. A copy of the report has been placed in the. Library of the House. Since the research project began, the Department has taken a number of steps to try to improve matters. These have had some success and we will now bring together staff of the special hospitals at a seminar to discuss the report's proposals and, in particular, ways of securing greater use of the "consultant to consultant" approach, which the report indicates is the most successful way of handling this problem. Officials have already visited a number of NHS hospitals for direct discussion with the local consultants about individual cases and have met representatives of health authorities to discuss the problems of making satisfactory arrangements for these patients. Further days of overcoming the difficulties are being sought.