§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of private hospitals provide(a) whole-time and (b) part-time accident and emergency cover; [31126]
(2) what percentage of private hospitals undertaking elective surgery have (a) intensive care and (b) recovery units. [31123]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 28 January 2002]: The information requested is not held centrally, but when the National Care Standards Commission takes over from health authorities the regulation of private health care services on 1 April this year, it will compile a comprehensive national database about service providers and the facilities they offer.
Private hospitals will be required to have staff available at all times trained in resuscitation, and have procedures in place for transferring patients to intensive care facilities, when necessary, if they do not have them on site. However, private hospitals will not be required to have accident and emergency departments as they treat only elective cases—they do not take casualties.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of private hospitals have 24 hour medical cover in the form of qualified doctors. [31124]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 28 January 2001]: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, the national minimum standards that will come into force on 1 April when the National Care Standards Commission takes over the regulation of private hospitals, require that where an establishment provides in-patient care, there is a resident medical officer, trained in resuscitation to advanced life support level, available immediately at all times.