§ Miss Boothroydasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give the number of patients, in each of the last three years, who have been admitted to Queen 490W Elizabeth medical centre in Birmingham for open heart surgery, and who have subsequently had their operation postponed and have been discharged because of lack of intensive care facilities; and what, in each of the last three years, was (a) the shortest, (b) the longest and (c) the average time, expressed in hours, between their discharge and the originaly scheduled time of their operation;
(2) if he will give the number of (a) National Health Service and (b) private beds that have been available in the intensive care unit at the Queen Elizabeth medical centre in Birmingham for open heart surgery patients for each of the last five years; whether he is satisfied with intensive care facilities at the centre; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenWe do not collect this sort of detailed local information centrally. The provision of intensive care facilities is a matter for the health authority concerned. I understand, however, that work on a development at the Queen Elizabeth hospital which will include 20 intensive therapy beds is planned to start in 1986.