The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.
Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what instructions were given to health authority inspection and registration officers with regard to their role in (a) monitoring whether residents in private nursing homes require such care and are also receiving it, and (b) liaison with Benefits Agency staff concerning the circumstances of those residents in receipt of income support payments towards their care home fee.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
Under the Registered Homes Act 1984, health authorities have a general duty to ensure that the level of care provided is sufficient to meet the needs of individual patients.
| National Health Service health visitors1 4as at 30 September for each year England by regional health authorities | |||||
| Whole-time equivalent2 | |||||
| Region | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 |
| Northern Regional Health Authority | 690 | 680 | 700 | 690 | 690 |
| Yorkshire Regional Health Authority | 740 | 800 | 810 | 840 | 820 |
| Trent Regional Health Authority | 960 | 960 | 950 | 990 | 1,010 |
| East Anglia Regional Health Authority | 370 | 380 | 380 | 390 | 360 |
| North West Thames Regional Health Authority | 810 | 810 | 790 | 800 | 790 |
| North East Thames Regional Health Authority | 740 | 770 | 720 | 740 | 770 |
| South East Thames Regional Health Authority | 830 | 760 | 770 | 3340 | 750 |
| South West Thames Regional Health Authority | 640 | 640 | 650 | 650 | 650 |
| Wessex Regional Health Authority | 610 | 590 | 600 | 610 | 640 |
| Oxford Regional Health Authority | 560 | 570 | 560 | 570 | 560 |
| South Western Regional Health Authority | 680 | 700 | 680 | 640 | 690 |
| West Midlands Regional Health Authority | 1,120 | 1,110 | 1,070 | 1,130 | 1,100 |
| Mersey Regional Health Authority | 500 | 500 | 520 | 550 | 520 |
| North Western Regional Health Authority | 1,170 | 1,100 | 1,120 | 1,120 | 1,120 |
| ENGLAND TOTAL | 10,430 | 10,360 | 10,340 | 310,050 | 10,470 |
| Source: Department of Health (SM13) annual census of National Health Service non-medical manpower. | |||||
| 1 Excludes senior nurses grades 1 to 8 in Health Visiting service, including Health Visitors, Health Visitor field work teachers, school Health Visitors, TB Visitors with Health Visitor certificates, Bank Health Visitors and dual/triple posts (HV/DN/MID). From 1989 includes clinical grades G to I in Health Visiting. Excludes Health Visitor students. | |||||
| 2 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalent. | |||||
| 3 Understated figures due to errors in occupation coding at South East Thames region. | |||||
| 4 Health Visitors are defined by occupation code. Apparent changes in staffing levels may well be the result of changes in coding accuracy. | |||||
| National Health Service school nurses1 3as at 30 September for each year England by regional health authorities | |||||
| Whole-time equivalent2 | |||||
| Region | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 |
| Northern Regional Health Authority | 220 | 220 | 220 | 210 | 200 |
| Yorkshire Regional Health Authority | 190 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 190 |
| Trent Regional Health Authority | 340 | 320 | 300 | 310 | 290 |
| East Anglia Regional Health Authority | 70 | 80 | 80 | 90 | 90 |
| North West Thames Regional Health Authority | 200 | 200 | 210 | 210 | 210 |
| North East Thames Regional Health Authority | 170 | 210 | 230 | 230 | 230 |
| South East Thames Regional Health Authority | 210 | 190 | 140 | 4120 | 200 |
| South West Thames Regional Health Authority | 150 | 140 | 140 | 130 | 120 |
| Wessex Regional Health Authority | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 |
| Oxford Regional Health Authority | 100 | 110 | 110 | 120 | 120 |
| South Western Regional Health Authority | 140 | 150 | 140 | 120 | 120 |
| West Midlands Regional Health Authority | 310 | 320 | 320 | 330 | 330 |