To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent midwives were employed in the NHS in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [126997]
The information requested is shown in the table.Between 2000 and 2002, there has been an increase of 460 whole-time equivalent midwives as training numbers have increased and recruitment and retention strategies have been implemented.
| NHS midwives as at 30 September each year | |
| Whole-time equivalents | |
| 1998 | 18,168 |
| 1999 | 17,876 |
| 2000 | 17,662 |
| 2001 | 18,048 |
| 2002 | 18,119 |
Source:
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce census
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms the NHS has for offering homebirth and natural birthing opportunities to expectant mothers. [126998]
The national health service provides a variety of types of care for women during pregnancy and childbirth, including home birth and natural birthing opportunities. The Department of Health advocates local decision making in designing appropriate, effective services that fit in with the ethos of woman-centred care. It is inevitable that the requirements of women will vary in different parts of the country and this is why it is so important that decisions about service provision are made at a local level.The Department of Health is currently developing the children's national service framework (NSF) which includes a maternity module. The NSF will focus on extending maternity choices, so that women in all parts of the country have a greater choice in the place and type of birth.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the numbers of consultant obstetricians in labour units in the NHS; what guidelines he has issued on the (a) optimum and (b) minimum coverage of labour units by consultant obstetricians; and what the average number of consultant obstetricians in labour units in (i) England and (ii) each strategic health authority is. [124224]
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Department of Health officials have received a number of representations on numbers of consultants in obstetrics and gynaecology on labour units, in particular, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology.These include contributions to the report to the children task force from the maternity and neonatal workforce group, annual speciality review meetings and the maternity module of the children's national service framework.
The Department of Health does not issue professional guidance on labour ward cover. This is a matter for the professional bodies and for local determination according to a units circumstances and requirements.
We do not collect figures on the number of consultant obstetricians in labour units in England. The number of consultants with an obstetric and gynaecology speciality in each strategic health authority is shown in the table.
Hospital medical consultants with an obstetrics and gynaecology
| ||
Numbers
| ||
| England | 1,308 | |
| Q01 | Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire | 57 |
| Q02 | Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 31 |
| Q03 | Essex | 27 |
| Q04 | North West London | 70 |
| Q05 | North Central London | 49 |
| Q06 | North East London | 63 |
| Q07 | South East London | 52 |
| Q08 | South West London | 36 |
| Q09 | Northumberland, Tyne and Wear | 47 |
| Q10 | County Durham and Tees Valley | 38 |
| Q11 | North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 36 |
| Q12 | West Yorkshire | 51 |
| Q13 | Cumbria and Lancashire | 43 |
| Q14 | Greater Manchester | 74 |
| Q15 | Cheshire and Merseyside | 69 |
| Q16 | Thames Valley | 48 |
| Q17 | Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 40 |
| Q18 | Kent and Medway | 43 |
| Q19 | Surrey and Sussex | 61 |
| Q20 | Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire | 53 |
| Q21 | South West Peninsula | 30 |
| Q22 | Dorset and Somerset | 24 |
| Q23 | South Yorkshire | 47 |
| Q24 | Trent | 55 |
| Q25 | Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland | 38 |
| Q26 | Shropshire and Staffordshire | 26 |
| Q27 | Birmingham and the Black Country | 65 |
| Q28 | Coventry, Warwickshire, Hertfordshire and Worcestershire | 35 |
Source:
Department of Health medical and dental workforce census
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of babies born per bed per day in labour units in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority has been in each year since 1997. [124227]
The information is not available in the format requested. Information about maternities and maternity beds in England is shown in the table. However, information by strategic health authority is not available.
| Number of maternities and available maternity beds, England, 1997–98 to 2002–02 | |||
| Year | Maternities | Available maternity beds | Maternities per bed per day |
| 1997–98 | 585,000 | 10,781 | 0.15 |
| 1998–99 | 577,500 | 10,398 | 0.15 |
| 1999–2000 | 565,300 | 10,203 | 0.15 |
| 2000–01 | 549,600 | 9,767 | 0.15 |
| 2001–02 | 541,700 | 9,812 | 0.15 |
Source:
Maternities—DH/SD3G; available beds—DH/hospital activity statistics