§ Mrs. Currieasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from the department of anaesthesia and intensive care at Addenbrooke's hospital, Cambridge, concerning the number of ventilators available for use on small children; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HayhoeTheDaily Mirror report on this subject on 14 May was misleading as the consultant himself has pointed out.
Up to the middle of May as many as 27 ventilators for use on small children were available in Addenbrooke's hospital, although not all are designed for use with children of all sizes. Nevertheless the consultant was concerned that a time might arise when the type of ventilator suitable for a child liver transplant patient would not be available when it was required for an operation, although no such occasion had in fact arisen. As a result of prudently voicing this concern, I am delighted that a charitable source has supplemented the resources of the NHS by offering the money to purchase an additional suitable ventilator.