asked the Minister for Health if, in view of the principles of the Fitzgerald Report and the announcement of recent plans for St. Peter's Hospital, St. John's Hospital and St. Mark's Hospital, London, he will state the studies and decisions he has made in respect of similar types of specialist institutions in this country; and if he will list these institutions and give his views in respect of each.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Specialist Medical Institutions.
10.
I have had inquiries made about the announcement in relation to these three small specialist units in the London area. I understand that St. Peter's is a specialist unit in the field of urology, St. John's in dermatology and St. Mark's in diseases of the rectum and colon. The announcement deals with arrangements in regard to post-graduate medical education in London and was made by the University Grants Committee, the University of London and the Department of Health and Social Security. The proposals deal with the rebuilding of the units in association with major teaching hospitals associated with particular medical schools.
The arrangements for medical teaching, under-graduate and post-graduate, in the London area involve a complex of inter-relationships developed over a long period of time. What has emerged is not paralleled in this country and we do not have here specialist post-graduate institutes similar to the three units named. As I am not clear what message the Deputy sees for us in these particular changes I suggest that he might write to me setting out his views more fully; it is too complex a matter to deal with satisfactorily by Parliamentary question and answer.