Welsh Affairs

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 9:21 pm on 28 February 1991.

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Photo of Mr Rhodri Morgan Mr Rhodri Morgan , Cardiff West 9:21, 28 February 1991

I wish to place on record certain developments which have occurred in the national health service as it operates in my constituency and which affect the service provided for my constituents and for people in a wider area. My constituency is fairly rich in specialist hospitals.

It was announced yesterday that there is to be a 30 per cent. cut in services at the artificial limb and appliance centre at Rookwood hospital. It seems odd to cut those services on a day when the Gulf war is coming to an end and when ex-service men will be coming home. Fortunately, not too many have been injured, but the principle remains the same. Fifty per cent. of that service goes to ex-service men who form the majority of amputees—coal miners, railwaymen, steelworkers and building workers form the rest. Even though the number injured in the Gulf has been small, it is as booby traps and mines are cleared that the classic injuries occur which require the services of the artificial limb and appliance centre.

Vessa Ltd., the contractors to the national health service which in Wales, which operates at Rookwood hospital, announced to the work force this week that the number of technicians is to be cut from 13 to nine. That means that more of the service will be provided by post. People will be unable to go to the hospital and have the limbs fitted personally. That is not such a good service.

That cut comes on top of what the NHS has done by way of economy measures for amputees. Roughly since Christmas, amputees have not been supplied with two artificial limbs—one to wear and one as a substitute when the first wears out. They now receive only one; the NHS no longer supplies a spare. Again, that seems something of a slap in the face for ex-service men who were asked to risk their lives to clear minefields. If they are unfortunate enough to lose a limb—as many did while clearing minefields or removing booby traps in the first world war and in Korea and Vietnam—they will be treated less well than they would have been a year ago.

We can see a further deterioration coming. It is shocking that the NHS fails to provide a first-class service fit for the heroes of the Kuwait campaign, for the heroes of previous campaigns in which people have lost limbs, and for civilians who have lost limbs in the mines, in the steelworks and on building sites.

South Glamorgan health authority has jumped the gun with the closure announcement which may be confirmed by the Secretary of State when he makes up his mind about the six hospitals and the one children's ward at the Prince of Wales orthopaedic hospital in my constituency. We do not know when the announcement will be made, so we do not know whether the six hospitals and the one children's ward will close. The health authority has jumped the gun and decided to spend £160,000 on upgrading two closed wards to accommodate those affected by the closure of the hospital, which the Secretary of State has not yet approved. That is a contempt of Parliament and gets round the established procedures.

What are the public, the patients and the families of the patients supposed to make of the fact that the health authority does not yet know whether the Secretary of State will confirm the closure? The authority is happy to carry on spending £160,000 on a building contract to upgrade wards, the only reason for which is the possible closure of Glan Ely hospital. I am pleased that the employees of Constructors Tern have a job for the next few months. I have many friends in the building industry, and I am glad that they should have some work rather than lying idle. Nevertheless, it is a contempt of Parliament and it implies that something is going on between the South Glamorgan health authority and the Secretary of State which is not as laid down in the procedure. It is wrong to jump the gun.

That is why I am glad to have the opportunity to put those points to the Secretary of State. Perhaps he can write to me to explain the deterioration of the health service and the failure to keep to procedures on hospital closures.