HC Deb 27 July 2000 vol 354 cc739-41W
Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the advantages of maintaining a single service identity for the Military District Hospital units. [132166]

Dr. Moonie

The Ministry of Defence Hospital Units (MDHUs) are part of the tri-Service Defence Secondary Care Agency and it is the Ministry of Defence's policy that they should be manned by personnel of the three Services, but that responsibility for recruitment, career management and promotion should remain with the single Services. The MDHUs are located in areas where there were previously single Service hospitals and, in practice, the majority of Service personnel at each MDHU have, so far, been of the same Service as the previous military

Post-SDR consultant requirement Manning as at 1 April 2000
Burns and Plastic Surgery 10 2
Accident and Emergency 23 3

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what percentage of the establishments for(a) general practitioners, (b) orthopaedic surgeons and (c) anaesthetists in the Defence Medical Services are currently filled; [132169]

(2) what the post-Strategic Defence Review establishments are for (a) general practitioners, (b) orthopaedic surgeons and (c) anaesthetists in the Defence Medical Services. [132168]

Dr. Moonie

The Defence Medical Services' post-Strategic Defence Review (SDR) operational and retained task requirement for general medical practitioners, consultant orthopaedic surgeons and anaesthetists, and the numbers employed in these specialities as at 1 April 2000 are as follows:

hospital and of many of the other local units. This pattern reflects individuals' posting preferences, which the armed forces seek to meet where possible. We recognise the benefits to morale of posting individuals to their preferred locations and they are not posted elsewhere except where this is necessary for manning or operational reasons or for the development of their careers.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average waiting times are for a first appointment for armed forces personnel in each of the single Service Military District Hospital units at(a) Derriford, (b) Frimley Park and (c) Peterborough. [132164]

Dr. Moonie

Data on the treatment of Service personnel at the four tri-Service Ministry of Defence Hospital Units (MDHUs) situated in Derriford, Peterborough, Frimley Park and Northallerton NHS Trusts is not collected in the format requested. In 1999–2000 the MDHUs aimed to offer 50 per cent. of Service personnel a first outpatient appointment within four weeks and 90 per cent. within 13 weeks. Details on their performance in meeting these targets are as follows, except for Derriford for which no information is currently available.

MDHU Percentage seen in four weeks Percentage seen in 13 weeks
Frimley Park 49 83
Northallerton 41 79
Peterborough 28 84

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many beds there are at each of the military district hospital units at(a) Derriford, (b) Frimley Park and (c) Peterborough; and what percentage of these are set aside for the fast-tracking of military personnel. [132470]

Dr. Moonie

The four Ministry of Defence Hospital Units (MDHUs) at Derriford, Frimley Park, Peterborough and Northallerton are fully integrated within their host NHS Trusts and treat both military and NHS patients. Details of the number of beds in military managed wards at each MDHU are as follows. Military patients, however, may be treated on any ward of the host hospital and no beds are allocated for their exclusive use.

MDHU Beds in military managed wards
Derriford 35
Frimley Park 58
Peterborough 29
Northallerton 136
1 54 from October 2000