St Albans Minor Injuries Unit

EDM number 809 in 1993-94, proposed by Dawn Primarolo on 10/03/1994.

That this House notes that in 1989 a brand new accident and emergency unit was opened in St Albans; further notes that in 1992 North West Hertfordshire Health Authority relocated casualty services to Hemel Hempstead Hospital eight miles away; is aware that after a strong local Labour-initiated but all-party campaign, during which a former Mayor of St Albans resigned from the Conservative party, a minor injuries unit was opened in 1993 at the St Albans site; recalls that at the last general election the Right honourable Member for St Albans reported that the Health Minister, the honourable Member for Bolton West, would ensure the minor injuries unit would be doctor-led; notes that there is no doctor on site and that, whilst the nurses do an excellent job, unless there is further support only 9,000 or one-third of patients from St Albans can be treated at the unit; is aware that a recently conducted Health Authority audit found the unit's capacity could be increased to 14,000 or half of the patients from St Albans if a full-time accident and emergency specialist were appointed as promised; and concludes that the people of St Albans are not getting the health service they need, expect, deserve and were promised, whilst, just like Philip Harris House at Guy's, money has yet again been wasted by the Department of Health by building a facility which is then not used for the purpose for which it was intended. (Relevant registered interest declared).

This motion has been signed by a total of 48 MPs.