§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to provide the specialist cardiac resources at the university hospital of Wales.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettIn addition to the facilities which already exist, our Department is currently funding enhanced cardiac catheter laboratories and improved intensive care and coronary care facilities.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the names of all the NHS specialist cardiologists in Wales, together with the hospitals at which they are based.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettThis information is not held centrally. There is no general hospital in Wales which is without a consultant physician who will have had higher training in all aspects of general medicine including cardiology. Cardiology training has developed over time with changing technologies and therapies and general physicians with a practising interest can be expected to have a range of training backgrounds and experience consistent with their professional clinical practice.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales which hospitals in Wales he is currently considering for the establishment of the satellite cardiac centre; and when he expects the centre to be operational.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him on 30 November 1990, at column511.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the level of funding for(a) the specialist paediatric cardiology and (b) the paediatric cardiac surgery, following the opening of the paediatric cardiac unit at the university hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettThe paediatric cardiac unit at the University Hospital of Wales has been planned to provide about 100 paediatric cardiac operations yearly and appropriate cardiological services consistent with the recommendations of the cardiology committee of the Royal College of Physicians. It will be funded accordingly as demand develops and subject to review.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date the paediatric cardiac unit, including the infant surgery component, will be operational at the university hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
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§ Mr. Nicholas BennettThe paediatric cardiac unit at the University Hospital of Wales is expected to come into operation in mid 1991 to provide a paediatric cardiac surgery service and a cardiological service for children of all ages. Neonatal and infant cardiac surgery is a supra regional service currently provided at a limited number of centres, the nearest of which is Bristol. Following the advice of the cardiology committee of the Royal College of Physicians provision of neonatal and infant cardiac surgery at the University Hospital of Wales is to be reviewed when the unit has been in operation a sufficient time for an assessment to be made.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if it remains his policy to increase the specialist cardiac and cardiological resources in Wales to meet a target of at least 1,200 adult heart operations.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettIt remains our target to increase provision for adult cardiac survey and cardiology for south Wales to about 1,200 operations per annum as recommended by the cardiology committee of the Royal College of Physicians.