§ Lord Brockwayasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is true, as stated to the Commons Public Accounts Committee, that 2,300 beds in new hospitals cannot be used because of shortage of funds; and whether there are waiting lists for admission.
§ Lord EltonNo. The press report of the evidence of the department's Permanent Secretary to the Public Accounts Committee was incorrect. The committee was told that the present position in relation to the commissioning of the nine new hospital developments, on which it commented in its 17th Report (Session 1980–81), was very substantially improved. Four of the hospitals—St. Peter's, Chertsey; Guildford Phase I; the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford; and Ealing DGH—were now fully operational. At the other five the number of beds still to be brought into use was as follows:
University Hospital, Nottingham 694 Derriford DGH, Plymouth 30 Kettering Hospital 34 St. George's Hospital, Tooting 12 Witney Hospital, Oxfordshire 42 This makes a total of 812 beds unopened in the hospitals on which the committee commented in its report. In addition, there are 38 beds unopened at Walsgrave General Hospital, Coventry and 84 beds unopened at Chase Farm Hospital, Enfield. This makes a total of 934.
These beds will be brought into use as the resources become available. There are no waiting lists for admission to these particular beds, but there are of course waiting lists in the districts concerned as in every district.