To ask the Secretary of State for Health what monitoring is undertaken by his Department of the numbers of mixing of elderly physically frail patients and elderly mentally ill patients.

It is departmental policy that there should be separate services for elderly physically frail patients and elderly mentally ill patients. But where elderly people have multiple disabilities they are likely to be in the sort of facility best placed to meet their major need. The provision of services is the responsibility of the district health authority concerned. Overall levels of provision are monitored through the regional review process and through the Health Advisory Service programme of visits.