Heart Surgery (Hansard, 28 February 1985)

§ Mr. Wareing
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients are awaiting heart surgery in each health authority region in England; what is the average waiting period in each region; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. John Patten
The requested information is not available centrally.

§ Mrs. Renée Short
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what special provisions he intends to make for health authorities requiring resources for expediting treatment for patients on waiting lists needing open heart surgery.

§ Mr. John Patten
The provision of services for patients needing open heart surgery is a matter for health authorities. We have asked health authorities to develop coronary artery surgery as a priority within the acute sector, but it is for health authorities to fund these developments from within their financial allocations.

§ Mrs. Renée Short
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what additional resources he intends to provide for Guy's hospital for adults and babies awaiting heart surgery.

§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke
South-East Thames regional health authority has four units for cardiac surgery for adults at Guy's, Kings, St Thomas' and the Brook hospitals. More facilities are provided for cardiac surgery in the south-east than in any other part of the country. It is for the health authorities to divide the work load and resources between these units which tend to compete with each other and with other services.
We look to the regional health authority and Lewisham and North Southwark health authority to resolve the present overspending problems in the cardiothoracic unit at Guy's with the minimum effects on patient care.
Cardiac surgery for babies under one year is designated as a supra-regional service and Guy's hospital is one of the designated national centres. £952,000 has been protected within the South-East Thames region's allocation for the provision of this service during 1985–86.
Ministers cannot provide additional funds to individual units in individual hospitals in response to short-term and much publicised local problems. It would not be sensible or fair to finance the Health Service on this basis.