§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much the average salary of a speech therapist has increased since 1979 in real and percentage terms and what has been the percentage increases in(a) average doctor's pay, (b) average nurse's pay, (c) the salary of skilled workers and (d) the cost of living.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyBetween 1979–80 and 1988–89 (1 August—31 July) settlements for doctors and dentists were worth 149.5 per cent., nurses 184.8 per cent., speech42W therapists 138.7 per cent. and the retail prices index rose by 98.9 per cent. The real-terms increase over this period for speech therapists was 20 per cent. Information is not readily available about overall pay on a comparable basis and there is no precise category of skilled workers.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have started training in speech therapy in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyInformation is not collected centrally on the numbers entering speech therapy training. I understand from information supplied by the College of Speech Therapists that the total number of people starting training in speech therapy at the 16 training establishments in the United Kingdom for the years 1982 to 1988 was as follows:
Number 1982 380 1983 374 1984 395 1985 376 1986 389 1987 394 1988 409 Figures for earlier years are not available. The provisional figure for 1989 is 450.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many schools for the deaf have a speech therapist provided by the health authority; and how many schools requiring one have not had their needs met by the health authority.
§ Mr. FreemanThe information is not available centrally. It is for individual health authorities to determine the speech therapy services that can be made available to hearing impaired children, in the light of local circumstances, their assessment of priorities, and the available resources.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many speech therapists are estimated to have permanently left the profession in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThis information is not available in the form requested.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many speech therapists have been employed in the National Health Service in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe information is as follows:
NHS qualified speech therapists at 30 September each year—England Years Whole-time equivalent 1979 1,510 1980 1,650 1981 1,750 1982 1,900 1983 1,970 1984 2,150 1985 2,340 1986 2,510 1987 2,630 1988 2,730 Source: Department of Health (SMI3) annual census of NHS non-medical manpower.
Note: All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents.
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§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many speech therapists he estimates are required per 100,000 population; and what is the current national average.
§ Mr. FreemanA research study by Dr. Philip Davies of Oxford university, funded by the Department and published in December 1989, estimated that 26.0 (whole-time equivalent) qualified speech therapists per 100,000 population would be required if current methods of intervention were maintained. The research also indicated that the number of qualified therapists required could be reduced to 20.5 (whole-time equivalent) per 100,000 population if assistants were used to assist with group work. Dr. Davies's study concluded that a major review of the current concepts of speech therapy provision appeared to be warranted. In accordance with this the Department is supporting the College of Speech Therapists work to produce national guidelines for speech therapy services and will discuss with the college the introduction of another grade to provide appropriate assistance for the degree qualified members of the profession. The current national average of qualified speech therapists is 5.7 (whole-time equivalent) per 100,000 population.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many speech therapists per head of population are employed by each of the regional health authorities.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe information is as follows:
NHS qualified speech therapists per hundred thousand of population at 30 September 1988 Region Whole Time Equivalent Northern 5.3 Yorkshire 4.6 Trent 5.3 East Anglian 5.5 North West Thames 7.7 North East Thames 6.5 South East Thames 6.8 South West Thames 6.3 Wessex 4.4 Oxford 5.6 South Western 6.2 West Midlands 5.0 Mersey 4.7 North Western 5.7 England (a) 5.7 Source: Department of Health (SM 13) Annual Census of NHS Non Medical Manpower; OPCS Mid-1988 Population Estimates.
Note: (a) Includes staff in London Post Graduate Special Health Authorities.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many speech therapy posts in special schools are currently vacant; and what proportion this is of the total number.
§ Mr. FreemanThe information is not available centrally and could not be provided in the form required. It is for individual authorities to decide on the deployment of speech therapists.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many unfilled speech therapy posts there are in the National Health Service as a whole; and how many in each of the regions.
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§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe information, which has not yet been fully validated is as follows:
Region Funded posts vacant over 3 months at 31 March 1989 England 178 Northern 4 Yorkshire 7 Trent 30 East Anglia 6 North West Thames 11 North East Thames 17 South East Thames 17 South West Thames 12 Wessex 10 Oxford 12 South Western 12 West Midlands 21 Mersey 13 North Western 4 SHAs 2 Source: National Professional Manpower Initiative Survey.
Note: All figures are rounded to the nearest whole-time equivalent.