§ 6. Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many managers and administrators there were in the four health and social services boards on 1 January 1990, and in the designated trusts and boards on the most recent date available.
§ Sir John WheelerOn 1 January 1990, there were 5,789 managers and administrators employed in the four health and social services boards. On 30 September 1993, there were 7,190 managers and administrators employed in the four boards in the HSS trusts.
§ Rev. Martin SmythI welcome that answer, but it conflicts with an answer given in Hansard on 25 November. Will the Minister accept that there is some discrepancy in the provision of care in Northern Ireland when, as is shown in that answer, between 1990 and 1993, there was an increase of 11.3 per cent. in the number of administrators and of 91 per cent. in the number of managers and a decrease of 11.3 per cent. in the number of nurses and midwives? Does he agree that managers and administrators are not able to give hands-on care?
§ Sir John WheelerI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. As he says, there has been an increase, but that is linked to the growth in finance, personnel and information technology staff. The part played by the administrators and managers in the care of patients has resulted in the number of patients waiting for two years or more for in-patient treatment being reduced from 5,277 to 1,332, a reduction of 75 per cent. Those administrators play an important part in the health care programme for Northern Ireland and relieve the medical and paramedical people of a responsibility for bureaucracy and administration.