To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the additional investment given to maternity units from May 2001 has gone to Oswestry's maternity services. [130224]
The extra £100 million announced in May 2001 was invested over two years, 2001–02 and 2002–03, to modernise and refurbish maternity units. Over 200 maternity units in the country are benefiting from this new investment. Local services decided on the top local priorities for investment.The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust received £896,000, which was spent on modernisation of the Shrewsbury consultant-led unit including sleeping facilities for fathers and a transitional care ward. These facilities benefit mothers from the Oswestry area who give birth at Shrewsbury.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of babies born per bed per day was in labour wards in (a) England and (b) Shropshire in each year since 1997. [130225]
This information is not available in the form requested. Information about maternities and maternity beds in England is shown in the table. This information is not available for Shropshire.
| Number of maternities and available maternity beds, England, 1997–98 to 2001–02 | |||
| 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
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent midwives were employed by the NHS in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [130228]
The information requested is in the following table.
Number of full-time equivalent midwives
| |
| 1998 | 18,168 |
| 1999 | 17,876 |
| 2000 | 17,662 |
| 2001 | 18,048 |
| 2002 | 18,119 |
Note:
Data as at 30 September
Source:
Department of Health NHS Hospital and Community Health Services
Non-Medical Workforce Census
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps were made to recruit midwives to cover maternity leave before the decision was made to close the maternity unit at the Robert James and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital. [130229]
Posts held by staff on maternity leave are not available to be offered permanently to new staff. However the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust (which is responsible for the maternity unit at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital) has been involved in a number of initiatives to help address the current situation. These include: advertising in the nursing press; and midwifery recruitment stands at the national health service careers fair in Telford and at the Shrewsbury flower show.In addition, all midwifery bank shifts available in Shropshire have been used and part-time staff have been asked to work extra shifts. The Trust has also approached two agencies in the area.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the closure of the maternity unit at the Robert James and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital will be temporary. [130230]
| Table 1—GP registrars in South Tyneside, the North East and England | |||||||
| Numbers (headcount) | |||||||
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | June 2003 | |
| South Tyneside PCT | 1— | 1— | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA and County Durham and Tees Valley SHA | 53 | 80 | 77 | 83 | 89 | 110 | 129 |
| England | 1,343 | 1,446 | 1,520 | 1,659 | 1,883 | 1,980 | 2,157 |
1 Not available.
Source:
Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
The numbers (whole time equivalent) of preregistration nurses in training in the Northern England and County Durham and Tees Valley Workforce
Table 2—Number of students in pre-registration nursing and midwifery training between 1998–99 and 2002–03
| |||||
Numbers (whole time equivalent)
| |||||
| 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | |
| Northern England WDC and County Durham and Tees Valley WDC | 1,973 | 2,480 | 2,227 | 2,915 | 2,826 |
| England | 39,319 | 44,005 | 48,422 | 53,299 | 58,902 |
Source:
Financial and Workforce Information Return.
The maternity unit at Oswestry, which is managed by the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust, is to close temporarily due to a large number of midwives across Shropshire taking maternity leave. The Trust plans to reopen the unit on 1 April 2004. During this period women in the area will still be able to choose to give birth at either: Shrewsbury general practitioners maternity unit; Shrewsbury consultant maternity unit; home: or at one of the maternity units in Wales.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost of refurbishing the maternity unit at the Robert James and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital at Gobowen to the latest quality standards with a projected life span of 25 years. [130231]
This information is not held centrally.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost of constructing a maternity unit with eight beds attached to a primary care centre. [130232]
Any estimate of the cost of construction of a particular unit will obviously be subject to a number of local factors. Without further specific information, there are too many variables to make a realistic estimate of the likely costs involved.