§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he has any plans to provide additional resources to assist local authorities with the increased burden falling on local social services if St. John's hospital, serving Lincolnshire and South Humberside, is closed; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what are his proposals for the future treatment of patients from the Grimsby area who are currently being treated at St. John's hospital;
(3) what is his policy towards the future of St. John's hospital, serving Lincolnshire and South Humberside;
(4) what are the most recent statistics in relation to St. John's hospital, Humberside, for the number of patients discharged; of these what was the number of patients who subsequently committed suicide; what was the number of patients readmitted; and, of those, what was the number who had been convicted of crimes;
(5) when he expects to announce a decision on the plans of the North Lincolnshire health authority for the rundown and closure of St. John's hospital, serving Lincolnshire and South Humberside.
§ Mr. WhitneyI assume that the hon. Member's questions are prompted by the article about St. John's hospital which appeared inThe Mirror on 27 March 1986. The district general manager subsequently wrote to the editor rebutting the allegations made. In his letter the district general manager made it clear that patients will be moved from St. John's hospital into the community only after a personal rehabilitation programme and only into accommodation which has been vetted by health and social services staff. Responsibility for implementing the Government's hospital and community health service policies lies with individual regional and district health authorities. Plans to transfer patients from St. John's hospital into the community, and their timing, are a matter 452W for both the health and the social services authorities in north Lincolnshire.