11.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what provision is being made for ophthalmic services in the new Warrington general hospital.
An ophthalmic unit of 15 beds has been built as part of the first phase of the redevelopment of Warrington general hospital, but it has not yet been commissioned.
Is the Minister aware that the area health authority does not propose to open the ophthalmic unit because of shortage of funds? Does he not agree that to provide this desperately needed unit—which has been established by many thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money—and not to open it, because of a shortage of cash is lunatic economics? Is he aware that the people in the Greater Warrington area are appalled at the suggestion that this much-needed ophthalmic unit should not open?
The Cheshire area health authority estimates that it will cost an additional £200,000 per annum to run the unit, as it will be a new service in Warrington, and the cash limits for 1979–80, which were set by our predecessors, were plainly inadequate. On taking office, we were faced with massive commitments on NHS pay which were not matched by the finance to meet them. However, when the cash limit for 1980–81 is known, the Cheshire area health authority will be able to decide what priority to give to funding the development to which the hon. Gentleman has referred.