§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the question tabled on 8 October by the hon. Member for Thurrock concerning the cottage hospital at Epsom was not answered. [100935]
§ Mr. DenhamI apologise to my hon. Friend that he did not receive a reply to his earlier question. This was due to an administrative error.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what services are provided at the cottage hospital in the vicinity of Horton Country Park, Epsom. [100940]
§ Mr. DenhamThe New Epsom and Ewell Cottage Hospital which is part of Epsom and St. Helier National Health Service Trust is a 20-bedded general practitioner hospital. It takes patients with any diagnosis i.e. medical, post-surgery and the terminally ill but not the mentally ill.
It has an outpatient department covering a range of services from general medicine, general surgery, dermatology, rheumatology, ear, nose and throat, audiology and plastic surgery. GPs do minor operation sessions there.
The hospital is also a base for nurse-led clinics for stoma, breast and urology. It is also a base for a district nursing service, health visitors for the elderly and a continence advisory service. There is also a rehabilitation team, comprising occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, chiropodists and the hospital at home team.