§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the annual saving to the Government as a result of informal carers looking after the sick, elderly and handicapped in the community.
Nursing Staff in Post12 in Mental Illness Area of Work—England by Regional Health Authority—at 30 September 1987 Wholetime equivalents5 Qualified Nurses3 Learners4 Region Registered (First Level) Enrolled (Second Level) Students Pupils Northern 1,470 920 460 100 Yorkshire 1,740 890 570 60 Trent 2,040 1,120 690 120 East Anglian 810 440 220 40 North West Thames 1,730 930 510 90 North East Thames 1,770 950 470 90 South East Thames 1,320 670 160 40 South West Thames 1,670 700 640 80 Wessex 1,270 580 390 40 Oxford 790 290 210 10 South Western 1,390 730 460 5O West Midlands 2,080 1,230 920 130 Mersey 1,280 910 370 5O North Western 1,830 1,110 510 50 London Post Graduate Special Health Authorities 290 90 70 — England 21,480 11,570 6,630 930 1 Excludes administrative nursing staff, agency staff and unqualified nursing staff. Includes staff working in the hospital and community services.
2 Due to occupation coding problems the 1987 figures for some regions, and therefore England, are not comparable with those for previous years.
3 Includes qualified staff who do not hold the RMN or EN(M) qualification.
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§ Mr. FreemanThe Government recognise the valuable contribution made by informal carers looking after sick, elderly and handicapped people in the community. There is no reliable basis on which to quantify that contribution.