§ Mr. Bill WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland under what legislation he is consulted before a cottage hospital may be closed; and if he will give details of the procedure laid down.
§ Mr. StewartMy right hon. Friend is consulted in accordance with the requirements of NHS circular 1975(GEN)4 before a hospital may be closed: the procedure laid down is that the health board should consult all bodies with a valid interest, in time to allow all comments to be considered and taken into account before the board takes a final decision, and before any proposals, revised where appropriate, are submitted to my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. Bill WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department first received information from Tayside health board that it wished to close Meigle cottage hospital.
§ Mr. StewartThe Scottish Home and Health Department was first informed of a proposal to close Meigle cottage hospital in 1963, when a review of Meigle's future was undertaken by the Eastern Regional hospitals' board. The first formal submission seeking approval to close was received by the Department in July 1991.
§ Mr. Bill WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the proposals received by his Department in the years 1987 and 1988 about the plans of Tayside health board to close Meigle cottage hospital.
§ Mr. StewartNo formal submission seeking approval to close Meigle cottage hospital was received in this period. The only reference to possible future closure was in the health board's strategic plan "Strategy for Health Care in Tayside for the 90's", published in July 1988.