HC Deb 24 May 1988 vol 134 cc140-1W
Mr. John Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in theOfficial Report, for St. Helens and Knowsley, Southport and Formby, South Sefton, Wandsworth, Islington, Central Manchester and Liverpool health authorities (a) the percentage of Health Service costs devoted to the administration of the service, (b) child mortality rates at birth and within a month of birth, (c) the number of registered nurses in special care baby units per 100 low birthweight births, (d) the district nurse contact rate for the over 65s, (e) the number of community mental and physical handicap nurses employed per resident in each authority, (f) the day-patient attendance rate for the over 65s and (g) the extent of meals-on-wheels provision.

Mr. Newton

Such information as is available centrally is in the tables. The hon. Member may wish to contact the health authority chairmen concerned for the other details he requires.

(a) Expenditure on headquarters administration as a proportion of total revenue expenditure
Per cent.
St. Helens and Knowsley 3.44
Southport and Formby 4.68
South Sefton 3.27
Wandsworth 2.38
Islington 3.17
Central Manchester 2.67
Liverpool 2.92

Notes:

1. Expenditure on headquarters administration includes all current expenditure on the pay and pay related costs of staff of all disciplines (including general managers) employed at headquarters levels and their office costs and overheads. It excludes the cost of clerical and secretarial support staff employed in departments at hospital and unit levels: such costs are regarded as operational.

2. Information derived from the 1986–87 annual accounts (the latest available) of the health authorities concerned.

(b) Child mortality rates

The mortality rates quoted have slightly different criteria. The still birth rate is shown per 1,000 live and still births, whereas the neonatal (deaths in the first 28 days of life) rate is deaths per 1,000 live births. These rates have been calculated from all births ie including low weight births. The latest available data are for 1986.

Rates per 1,000 births
Still births per 1,000 live and still births All neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births
St. Helens and Knowsley 5.3 4.5
Southport and Formby 4.2 19.3
South Sefton 4.9 4.9
Wandsworth 4.4 4.1
Islington 6.8 5.2
Central Manchester 9.4 6.3
Liverpool 6.1 5.0

Source: OPCS Monitor DH3 87/4

1 In Southport and Formby, where the birthrate is low, the comparatively high rate of neonatal deaths represents only 11 actual deaths in 1986.

(c) The number of registered nurses and midwives in special care baby units (at 30 September 1986)
Whole-time equivalent per 100 low birthweight births1
St. Helens and Knowsley 2.2
Southport and Formby 8.0
South Sefton 3.2
Wandsworth 7.5
Islington 10.8
Central Manchester 26.6
Liverpool 3.9
1 Calculated on unrounded whole-time equivalent staff in post and number of births.

Sources: DHSS Annual Census of National Health Service Non-Medical Manpower. Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.

(d) The district nurse contact rate for the over 65s (1986)
Persons 65 and over treated by district nurses Percentage of population aged 65 and over treated by district nurses
St. Helens and Knowsley 8,336 18.8
Southport and Formby 6,026 26.5

Number of main meals provided for elderly and/or physically handicapped people during the year ended 31 March 1987
Health authority Local authority Meals at home Number
St. Helens and Knowsley St. Helens 144,249
Knowsley 61,018
Southport and Formby; South Sefton Sefton 103,626
Wandsworth and part of Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton (30 per cent, by population) Wandsworth 382,065
Islington Islington 268,467
Central Manchester, South Manchester, North Manchester Manchester 735,936
Liverpool Liverpool 404,103