§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking to reduce the number of cases of cryptosporidiosis caused by a waterborne parasite; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. DorrellI refer the hon. Member to the reply by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 29 June at columns363–64.
Average daily available beds1 and in-patient cases treated, NHS hospitals, by regional health authority, 1979 and 1988–89 1979 1988–89 Regional health authority Average daily available beds In-patient cases treated In-patients per available bed Average daily available beds In-patient cases treated In-patients per available bed Northern 25,305 368,578 14.6 21,520 461,033 21.4 Yorkshire 29,946 433,783 14.5 22,765 551,458 24.2 Trent 31,712 464,917 14.7 25,992 626,102 24.1 East Anglian 13,094 201,867 15.4 11,827 269,637 22.8 North West Thames2 27,905 403,264 14.5 20,145 416,153 20.7 North East Thames2 29,443 455,851 15.5 23,285 521,291 22.4 South East Thames2 28,408 438,889 15.4 19,574 487,815 24.9 South West Thames2 26,242 312,264 11.9 19,066 344,259 18.1 Wessex 19,021 302,772 15.9 14,824 391,376 26.4 Oxford 13,664 251,898 18.4 11,024 296,433 26.9 South Western 24,456 338,890 13.9 19,166 451,586 23.6 West Midlands 36,263 547,773 15.1 28,784 689,457 24.0 Mersey 21,982 282,629 12.9 15,776 347,893 22.1 North Western 30,812 509,049 16.5 26,409 640,548 24.3 Special Health Authorities2 3,419 87,696 25.7 2,780 90,941 32.7 England 361,670 5,400,120 14.9 282,937 6,585,982 23.3 Source: SH3 return 1979, HKo3 and SH3a returns 1988–89.
1 Excludes neonatal cots on maternity units, also beds on wards open during the day only.
2 Figures are not directly comparable over the period, due to NHS restructuring in 1982.