§ Mr. Charles Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will ensure that the statements made by staff and the evidence presented to the Oxford regional health authority inquiry in relation to Wexham Park hospital are re-examined by an independent third party;
584W(2) if he will now order a full inquiry into the psychiatric services in east Berkshire, including the circumstances surrounding the development of the problems arising from the Wexham Park psychiatric unit.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe Oxford regional health authority has already initiated a full and thorough inquiry into the events leading up to the problems at the Wexham Park psychiatric unit. The inquiry team included independent medical and nursing representatives and an independent chairman. No pupose would be served by holding a further inquiry.
§ Mr. Charles Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take action to deal with the serious allegations made by the psychiatric nursing staff at Wexham Park.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIt is for the East Berkshire health authority, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of Wexham Park hospital, to deal in the first place with complaints from members of its staff. I have been following closely the recent problems at Wexham Park and I remain satisfied with the manner in which the authority is now resolving them.
§ Mr. Charles Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps the east Berkshire health district is taking to reopen fully and manage the psychiatric unit at Wexham Park hospital; what steps have been taken to replace the senior and most qualified staff who have been dismissed or have resigned; and whether he is satisfied that the facilities are being managed by qualified staff.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe east Berkshire health authority has opened one ward in the psychiatric unit at Wexham Park hospital. The authority is currently advertising for nursing staff to replace those who resigned or were dismissed to enable the remaining ward to be opened. Interviews will be held in January for the post of director of nursing services. In the meantime, the post is being held on an acting basis by an experienced nursing officer who is fully competent to manage the unit on a temporary basis. The health authority is satisfied that the members of qualified staff' are sufficient for the unit.
§ Mr. Charles Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the reports that there has been no effective multidisciplinary team work at Wexham Park psychiatric unit during the 10 years since it first opened, if he will instruct the district health authority to implement the proposals of the Nodder committee on organisational and management problems of the mental illness hospitals.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe district health authority is reviewing its management arrangements. A large number of district health authorities have introduced mental health management units along the lines envisaged in the Nodder committee report, since this was commended to health authorities in 1980. It is for each health authority to decide on its own appropriate management arrangements, but I expect authorities to have regard to the Nodder report when reaching their decisions.
§ Mr. Charles Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reports were made, and when, by health advisory teams which visited Wexham Park psychiatric hospital; and why no action was taken on these reports until 1982.
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§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe health advisory service visited Wexham Park psychiatric unit in 1973 and 1977, and the director of the HAS paid a further visit in 1979. Action on HAS's recommendations is not mandatory, and it is for the health authority itself to implement the reports.
§ Mr. Charles Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why only nurses have been subject to disciplinary action at Wexham Park psychiatric unit.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe Oxford regional health authority and the East Berkshire health authority have accepted the report of the committee of inquiry into the breakdown of working relationships between doctors and nurses in the psychiatric unit at Wexham Park hospital and are taking steps to implement the recommendations. The report recommended disciplinary action against one of the nursing staff but contained no recommendations for action against other members of staff. Some of the medical staff who were criticised in the report are no longer working at the hospital. Subsequently, disciplinary action has been taken against a member of staff for refusing to co-operate with management, and three nurses have been dismissed.
§ Mr. Charles Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will ensure that appeals of staff dismissed by the east Berkshire health authority from Wexham Park psychiatric unit will be heard by persons other than the health authority's own members or nominees.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNo. The national Whitley agreement provides for employing authorities to set up appeals committees consisting of no fewer than three members of the authority to hear appeals, and I see no reason to vary this in the present cases.