HC Deb 24 June 1997 vol 296 c501W
30. Mr. Wilkinson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made in reversing ward closures in hospitals in the North Thames region of the NHS. [3497]

Mr. Milburn

We have inherited a difficult legacy in terms of pressure on the health service, in the North Thames region as elsewhere. The National Health Service Chief Executive has asked health authorities and NHS trusts to ensure that the current resources of the NHS are used to maximum effect.