§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State of State for Social Services what was the latest position in regard to hospital waiting lists in the Rotherham Area and Trent Regional Health Authorities; and how this compares with the position 10 years ago.
§ Mr. MoyleThe total number of patients awaiting hospital in-patient treatment in specialties, excluding psychiatry, in the areas for which the Trent Regional Health Authority and the Rotherham Area Health Authority are now responsible were as follows on the dates shown:
Date Trent RHA Rotherham AHA 30th Sept. 1976 … 49,983 2,536 31st Dec. 1966 … 39,114 1,880
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospital beds were available for old people in the Trent Regional and the Rotherham Area Health Authorities at the latest date and 10 years earlier.
§ Mr. MoyleFollowing are the numbers of staffed beds available on the dates shown for patients in departments of geriatric medicine in the areas for which the Trent Regional Health Authority and the Rotherham Area Health Authority are now responsible.
Many beds in other hospital specialties are also occupied by patients aged 65 and over.642W
Date Trent RHA Rotherham AHA 30th Sept. 1976 … 5,173 348 31st Dec. 1966 … 4,932 286
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the date by which he expects the financial resources available for the Trent Regional and the Rotherham Area Health Authorities to reach the national average level; and if he will offer a firm intention that this will be achieved within a reason. able period;
(2) by what proportion the financial resources available to the Trent Regional and the Rotherham Area Health Authorities currently fall below the national average; how this compares with the position on 1st April 1974; and what is his estimate of the proportion by which the resources will be below the average in 1980.
§ Mr. MoyleThe Resource Allocation Working Party showed for illustrative purposes that the revenue allocation to the Trent Region for 1976–77 represented about 89.8 per cent. of the share attributable to its population weighted as it recommended. Comparable figures for 1974 and for the Rotherham Area Health Authority are not available.
The Government are committed to achieving a fairer distribution of resources between and within regions in England consistent with maintaining important aspects of the National Health Service. With the present constraints on the resources available nationally, redistribution will take a number of years. I cannot forecast the effect on this redistribution of future changes in the demographic and other factors affecting weighted population and in the resources available nationally. It is for each regional health authority to make allocations to its areas, taking account of considerations affecting the distribution to regions and local circumstances affecting the speed with which it is practicable to move towards a fairer distribution within the region.