§ Mrs. Anne CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans she has to provide specialist facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of tropical diseases in London and the south-east of England when St. Pancras hospital for tropical diseases is closed;
(2) what change is proposed in the number of beds and availability of specialist staffing for the diagnosis and treatment of tropical diseases in London;
(3) what estimate was made, in considering the future of St. Pancras hospital for tropical diseases, of the implications for the incidence of tropical diseases of the amount of travel by British citizens to tropical countries and the availability of making early diagnoses.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe report of the inquiry into London's health service by Sir Bernard Tomlinson and his team recommended that the London hospital for tropical disease at St. Pancras be merged with University college hospital. I understand that his recommendation has been welcomed by the LHTD and its parent institute, the London school of hygiene and tropical medicine as offering significant medical and research advantages.
This, and the other recommendations of the Tomlinson report, is advice to Government. We will announce our response to the report shortly. All proposals on hospital closures or mergers arising from Sir Bernard's report will be subject to established national health service consultation procedures.