asked the Minister of Health how far facilities exist whereby financial assistance can be given to private hospitals and nursing homes which have not been taken over by the National Health Service, which are not run for profit but are maintained by public subscription, and which assist in relieving pressure on National Health hospitals; and whether he will give particulars.
Regional Hospital Boards can make contractual arrangements with hospitals and other institutions outside the National Health Service. Where patients are admitted or treated under the authority of the Board, the Board may meet the full cost. A list of the institutions with which such arrangements have been made is included in the Hospitals' Directory, published by His Majesty's Stationery Office.