§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what grants he has given to voluntary organisations concerned with the care of the elderly for 1982–83; how this compares with the three previous years; and if he will increase his assistance to take account of the increasing number of dependent elderly.
§ Mr. John MacKayGrants were made under section 10(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to the following voluntary organisations in the period 1979–80 to 1982–83:
1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 £ £ £ £ Age Concern Scotland 40,260 43,451 52,174 63,410 Belleisle centre 7,355 7,355 7,355 7,355 Church of Scotland volunteer project — 4,700 5,740 — Employment Fellowship — — — 6,750 47,615 55,506 65,269 77,515 Over the same period, additional grants were made to Age Concern Scotland by the Scottish Education Department, the Scottish Development Department and the Scottish Home and Health Department in respect of their educational, housing and health related activities respectively, as follows:
301W
1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 £ £ £ £ Scottish Education Department — — — 15,000 Scottish Development Department 10,740 12,749 14,784 16,640 Scottish Home and Health Department 4,000 4,300 5,000 5,950 Total of all grants 62,355 72,555 85,053 115,105 Funds allocated to voluntary organisations in the social work field to meet the needs of different client groups, including the elderly, are reviewed every year in the light of changing priorities and available resources.
§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many health visitors and district nurses are currently employed in each health board area; how much of the total time of each category is devoted to work with the elderly; and what plans each health board has put forward to increase health visitor and district nurse provision to cope with the increasing number of frail old people.
§ Mr. John MacKayProvisional numbers of health visitors and district nurses (in whole-time equivalents) employed in each health board area at 30 September 1982 are as follows:
Health boards Health visitors (WTE) District nurses (WTE) Argyll and Clyde 108.0 167.7 Ayrshire and Arran 69.1 107.4 Borders 20.9 15.9 Dumfries and Galloway 28.9 28.8 Fife 105.8 145.5 Forth Valley 90.1 94.0 Grampian 144.7 177.7 Greater Glasgow 290.3 466.3 Highland 42.5 56.3 Lanarkshire 139.2 173.1 Lothian 215.1 241.5 Orkney 6.0 13.8 Shetland 5.5 4.8 Tayside 90.6 109.2 Western Isles 11.0 —
Geriatric inpatient beds Geriatric day places Health Board Estimated population aged 75 + (30 June 1981) Number of beds recommended(40/1,000 pop) Average staffed beds (30 September 1981) Estimated population aged 65 + (30 June 1981) Number of places recommended (2/1000 pop) Number of places available (30 September 1981) Argyll and Clyde 21,959 878 1,000 59,972 120 55 Ayrshire and Arran 18,897 756 635 52,520 105 61 Borders 7,435 297 229 18,755 38 — Dumfries and Galloway 8,545 342 314 22,877 46 — Fife 18,148 726 547 48,949 98 60 Forth Valley 12,678 507 551 35,436 71 53 Grampian 27,353 1,094 935 68,886 138 30 Greater Glasgow 54,029 2,161 2,485 146,411 293 243 Highland 10,708 428 402 27,935 56 4 Lanarkshire 21,261 850 1,033 61,185 122 40 Lothian 41,306 1,652 1,486 106,999 214 157 Orkney 1,232 49 51 3,213 6 — Shetland 1,359 54 87 3,247 6 — Tayside 25,040 1,002 895 64,352 129 100 Western Isles 2,511 100 97 5,866 12 — Scotland 272,461 10,896 10,746 726,603 1,454 803 Notes:
1. Population figures used are the estimates for 30 June 1981, incorporating the results of the 1981 census.
2. The ratios of 40 beds per 1,000 population aged 75 or over, and of 2 day hospital places per 1,000 population aged 65 or over are based on the levels of provision recommended in the report "Scottish Health Authorities Priorities for the Eighties" (SHAPE).
3. Average staffed beds are for the year to 30 September 1981.
4. Data on day hospitals are incomplete primarily because no account is taken of day patients treated in inpatient facilities.
Comparable statistical information in respect of psychogeriatric provision is not available. Although some of the elderly confused are cared for in psychogeriatric facilities specifically designated as such, most of these patients are treated in mental illness beds, and so are not separately identifiable as psychogeriatric patients.
Elderly people also have the normal access to the full range of outpatient and inpatient facilities.
All health boards have been asked to submit statements outlining their plans to implement the recommendations of the SHAPE report. Geriatric and psychogeriatric services are among those to which this report recommended that the highest priority should be given. Only five boards have so far submitted their plans to my Department, and these are currently being evaluated. Until plans have been received from all boards, the pattern of future provision will be unclear.
302WThe figures exclude student health visitors and the community nurses (700.2 WTE) who combine midwifery, district nurse and health visitor duties.
Statistics are not collected centrally on visits paid to particular client groups, but a survey in 1981 showed that 12 per cent. of visits by health visitors and 56.5 per cent. of visits by district nurses were to people aged 75 and over.
It is for health boards to assess local needs and circumstances and to decide staffing levels for services in their area. My right hon. Friend has asked boards in allocating resources to bear in mind the priorities set out in the report "Scottish Health Priorities for the Eighties" (SHAPE). These include community nursing services and services for the elderly.
§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each health board area the current provision of geriatric and psychogeriatric places for inpatient and outpatient treatment; how this compares with the recommended level of provision in each case; and what plans each health board has submitted to him to take account of the increasing numbers of frail and confused old people.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe most recently available statistical information in respect of geriatric provision is set out in the following table.