§ Ms SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the present and proposed future numbers of obstetric beds at the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy. [34365]
§ Mr. GalbraithCurrently 68 obstetric beds are provided at Forth Park Hospital, Kirkcaldy. Fife Health Board's draft Integrated Health Care Strategy, which has been issued for public consultation, includes a proposal to integrate obstetric, gynaecology and paediatrics on the Victoria Hospital site to improve the quality of clinical care. No final decision has been taken on the future acute service configuration and detailed bed numbers for obstetrics are not yet available.
§ Ms SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of(a) refurbishing and (b) adapting areas of the Victoria 576W Hospital, Kirkcaldy, to accommodate the transfer of (i) paediatric services from the Queen Margaret Hospital and (ii) gynaecological services from Dunfermline; [34367]
(2) pursuant to his answer of 18 February 1998, Official Report, column 709, when the figures for the cost of transferring the maternity facilities to Victoria Hospital and adapting Victoria Hospital will be available. [34368]
§ Mr. GalbraithFife Health Board is currently publicly consulting on acute service configuration proposals in its draft Integrated Health Care Strategy. The Board has indicated that estimates of the costs of transferring services into Victoria Hospital can be undertaken only once acute service configuration and future bed numbers have been considered in more detail. It is likely that such detailed financial information will not be available until the end of 1998/99. The Board has no plans currently to transfer gynaecology services from the Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline.