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Oppé Report

Volume 949: debated on Tuesday 9 May 1978

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asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the response of health authorities to the Oppé Report and the accompanying circular HC(76)40.

My hon. Friend will recall my reply to his Question on 14th February 1977—[Vol. 926 c. 44]—in which I said that all Regional Health Authorities had confirmed that they were reviewing services for the newborn as requested in the circular. The Department's planning guidelines for 1978–79 (HC(78)12) reaffirmed the priorities set out in the Consultative Document on "Priorities and The Way Forward", in both of which the importance of special care for low birthweight and sick newborn babies was stressed and authorities' action in this area will now be followed up as part of the planning mechanism. A recent letter to RHAs stated that my right hon. Friend is anxious to ensure that, nationally, the English share of the additional £50 million for the National Health Service announced in the Budget Statement of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be used to secure a number of defined ends within the existing priorities and that one of these ends is improvement of equipment and staffing for special care baby units and provision of additional foetal monitoring equipment.