§ Mr. Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the current provision of geriatric care within the National Health Service, both nationally and in the county of Gloucestershire.
§ Mr. WhitneySince 1978 expenditure on National Health Service care for elderly people has increased by over 20 per cent. in real terms. The specialty of geriatric medicine continues to expand—between 1978 and 1984 the numbers of consultant geriatricians and nurses working in departments of geriatric medicine increased by 34 per cent. and 18 per cent. respectively and the numbers of elderly persons treated as hospital inpatients and as outpatients increased by 47 per cent. and 35 per cent. respectively.
The South-Western regional health authority's strategic plan requires district authorities to give priority to the development of services for elderly people over the next 10 years. My hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman of the Gloucester health authority and the Cheltenham and district health authority for details of current and planned provision in Gloucestershire.