HC Deb 23 October 1990 vol 178 cc98-9W
Mr. Cartwright

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the specialties available to national health service patients at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The following specialties are generally available to NHS patients at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich, subject to Army operational and management considerations:

  • Anaesthetics and Resuscitation
  • Dietetics
  • Dermatology1
  • Ear, Nose and Throar
  • General Medicine
  • Tropical Medicine and Cardiology
  • Genito-urinary Medicine
  • General Surgery
  • Gynaecology
  • Intensive Care
  • Neurology1
  • Neuro-surgery
  • Nuclear Medicine
  • Oncology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Oral Surgery
  • Orthopaedics
  • Pathology
  • Plastic Surgery
  • Psychiatry
  • Radiology
  • Rheumatology and Rehabilitation
  • Urology
  • 1 Visiting consultant's clinic only.

Some of these specialties may not be available during the current Gulf deployments.

Mr. Cartwright

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) service personnel and (b) civilians are currently employed at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The peacetime establishment of the Queen Elizabeth military hospital is 174 officers, 395 other ranks and 149 civilians. Current commitments in the Gulf and management considerations may, however, affect the established staff levels.

Mr. Cartwright

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the service hospitals covered by the surgeon general's recent review.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

All eight of the service hospitals in the United Kingdom are included in the Surgeon General's review. They are:

Royal Navy

  • Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar
  • Royal Naval Hospital, Stonehouse

Army

  • Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital, Woolwich
  • Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot
  • Duchess of Kent Military Hospital, Catterick

Royal Air Force

  • Princess of Wales RAF Hospital, Ely
  • Princess Mary RAF Hospital, Halton
  • Princess Alexandra RAF Hospital, Wroughton.

Mr. Cartwright

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the estimated annual running costs of the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich in 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1989–90; and what is the current estimated average cost of in-patient stays for (a) service and (b)National Health Service patients.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The estimated annual running costs of the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich, for the years 1987–88 to 1989–90 were:

£ millions
1987–88 26.9
1988–89 26.6
1989–90 21.1

Note: It is not possible to differentiate the costs between service and civilian patients.

The estimated average cost of in-patient stays at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich in 1989–90 was £2,400.

Mr. Cartwright

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich was opened for use; and how many beds it currently provides.

Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Number of in-patients
Service personnel 3,522 4,170 3,738 3,780 4,120 4,583 4,219 4,667 4,232 4,600
Service dependants 1,066 1,142 1,223 1,307 1,386 1,421 1,227 1,129 1,129 1,163
National health service 2,505 3,131 2,898 3,181 4,024 4,690 4,623 4,722 5,346 6,430
Others 177 160 291 319 304 412 241 203 303 231
Total 7,270 8,603 8,150 8,587 9,834 11,106 10,310 10,721 11,010 12,424
Number of out-patients
Service personnel 11,403 17,338 17,240 19,284 17,233 18,565 15,853 14,395 13,959 10,924
Service dependants 3,929 5,317 4,222 4,540 4,138 3,839 2,858 2,497 2,429 1,998
National health service 13,456 17,449 17,597 19,083 16,142 17,399 15,777 13,697 14,813 15,821
Others 407 1,252 596 873 731 846 1,280 402 398 250
Total 29,195 41,356 39,655 43,780 38,244 40,649 35,768 30,991 31,599 28,993

Note: Others includes far east prisoners of war and Gurkhas.

Mr. Cartwright

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he received the surgeon general's review of the future of service hospitals in the United Kingdom; and when he expects to announce a decision on its recommendations.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The findings of the Surgeon General's review of service hospitals in the United Kingdom are under consideration at official level and recommendations will shortly be submitted to Ministers. An announcement will be made as early as practicable after a decision has been taken.

Mr. Cartwright

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the overall bed occupancy rate at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich, for the most recent four quarters for which figures are available.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Bed occupancy figures, which are based on actual occupancy at midnight each day, are recorded on an annual basis. The occupancy rate for 1989–90, the last year for which figures are available, was 69 per cent., excluding bedded day patients.