HL Deb 27 July 1999 vol 604 c181WA
Baroness Cox

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they intend to transfer the intensive care facilities from Haslar Hospital to the Queen Alexandra Hospital; and, if so, whether they will review this decision, given reports in the press that the Queen Alexandra Hospital was so short of staff that the hospital advertised for relatives to take care of their own family members in hospital. [HL3674]

Lord Gilbert

As the result of the development of further integration arrangements between the MoD and the NHS, intensive care services are to be transferred from the Royal Hospital Haslar to the Queen Alexandra Hospital during August. However, Haslar will retain a High Dependency Unit that will be able to administer to all critically ill patients other than those requiring ventilated life support. The level of intensive care provision within the Portsmouth area will remain the same.

I am advised by the Southern Region of the NHS Executive that the Queen Alexandra Hospital has not advertised for relatives to take care of their own family members in hospital. Following an exceptionally high increase in admissions over the last Christmas holiday period, the trust was placed on Fled Alert. Staff shortages caused by a combination of holiday rota and staff sickness compounded the situation. The trust appealed on local TV and radio for staff to cover absent colleagues. Notices were put in some wards explaining that, if family members wished to help their relatives with dressing, washing and getting drinks, the hospital staff would be grateful.