§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on plans for the future treatment of children with scoliosis in north London; if he will seek to ensure that the same provision for parents to stay with their children is made as is available at Stanmore; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitneyI assume the right hon. Member is referring to a proposal in the report of a working party on orthopaedic services set up by Blootnsbury health authority. The proposal was that for their peri-operative period the more complex cases of scoliosis be treated within a multi-faculty hospital, with an intensive therapy unit and other specialised facilities readily available rather than at the Stanmore branch of the Royal National Orthopaedic hospital. It was suggested that this work might be transferred to the Middlesex or University College hospitals, or to hospitals, such as the hospitals for sick children, outside the district.
I understand that at its meeting on 4 December, when Bloomsbury health authority considered the responses to consultation on the report, it agreed that further discussions on the future location of scoliosis work were needed with the consultants concerned and that there were no plans at present to transfer the work to another hospital. These are at present matters for the health authorities concerned and any proposed changes would require full consultation in the usual way.
I am sure that one of the points which will be considered by the health authority in reaching a decision on whether 492W to propose any changes will be the provision of overnight accommodation for parents. We have already made it clear that the final decision on any major changes at the Royal National Orthopaedic hospital, Stanmore, will be taken by the Secretary of State.