HC Deb 10 May 1994 vol 243 cc87-8W
Mr. Burden

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

  1. (1) if she will list the individuals and organisations which submitted written objections to the closure of the Royal orthopaedic hospital in Birmingham (a) during the West Midlands regional health authority's formal consultation on the proposed closure during 1992 and (b) prior to her decision of February 1993 to approve the closure;
  2. (2) if she will list the individuals and organisations which submitted written objections to the closure of the accident and emergency unit in Birmingham during (a) the West Midlands regional health authority's formal consultation on the proposed closure during 1992 and (b) prior to her decision of February 1993 to approve the closure;
  3. (3) on what date in February 1993 she agreed the closure of the accident and emergency unit in Birmingham;
  4. (4) on what date in February 1993 she agreed the closure of the Royal orthopaedic hospital in Birmingham.

Mr. Sackville

South Birmingham health authority was responsible for consulting on the proposal to close the Birmingham accident hospital and the Royal orthopaedic hospital and the consequential transfer of services elsewhere within the South Birmingham acute unit. In seeking the agreement to the reconfiguration proposals, South Birmingham health authority prepared a paper analysing responses to the consultation exercise for the board of the west midlands regional health authority.

This was considered at a meeting held in November 1992. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Bryan Baker, Chairman of the West Midlands regional health authority, for specific details.

We have received a number of letters from various organisations about the closure of the Birmingham accident and Royal orthopaedic hospitals. In October 1992, a petition was received by the Department opposing the closure of the Royal orthopaedic hospital.

The Department of Health agreed the closure of these hospitals on 1 February 1993.

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