Engagements

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 11 January 1996.

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Photo of Mr Michael Heseltine Mr Michael Heseltine First Secretary of State and Deputy Prime Minister 12:00, 11 January 1996

The whole House is deeply preoccupied with the standards of the health service and with ensuring that they are maintained. It does no service at all to people who are sick or elderly to raise concerns and fears in the way that the right hon. Gentleman has done. Since 1948, the number of beds in the national health service has been falling under all Governments. One of the reasons why that has been happening is that today patients spend less time in hospital, because the means of treating them enable a speedier recuperative process.

I can reassure the House that, since our reforms of the health service were put in place, 1.5 million more patients have been treated every year. That is the fact that the patients of this country should hear, because it is the reassurance to which they are entitled.