§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average time it has taken in the last year for her to make a decision on the closure of a hospital after the final plans and proposals have been submitted by the regional health authority. [19801]
§ Mr. Sackville[holding answer 21 April 1995]: Decisions on closure of a hospital have been referred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on three occasions in the last year. Plans in Sunderland for the closure of Havelock hospital, the royal infirmary and the Ryhope general hospital and for the transfer of their services to the Sunderland district general hospital and the Sunderland eye infirmary were received from the Northern regional health authority on 15 December 1994 and the decision was announced on 22 February 1995. Plans to close the Brook hospital, change the use of the Greenwich district hospital and develop new services at the Queen Elizabeth military hospital were submitted by South Thames regional health authority on 16 March 1995 and announced on 4 April. Plans to bring together the general and specialist services managed by the Royal Hospitals National Health Service trust on the Royal London Whitechapel site and to close over time the London chest hospital and most of the St. Bartholomew's hospital site were submitted to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 23 March and the decision was announced on 4 April.