Elderly People (Hansard, 20 February 1992)

§ Mr. Wigley
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the projected number of single-person elderly households in Wales for each year from 1986 to 2001; and how many are estimated to be(a) male and (b) female.

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
The most recently published estimates of single person elderly households are those in table 3 of the "1989-Based Household Projections for Counties of Wales" a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Comparable figures for 1986 are not available.

§ Mr. Wigley
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) private, (b) voluntary, (c) local authority and (d) long-stay national health service places were made available for elderly people in Wales in each year from 1977 onwards.

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
The available information concerning beds and places is given in the following table:
243W

Type of premises

Private nursing homes¹ Local authority residential homes² Private residential homes² Voluntary residential homes² National health service hospitals³

1977 N/a N/a N/a N/a 4,208

1978 N/a 7,424 1,571 4,263

1979 N/a 7,549 1,689 4,285

1980 N/a 7,581 1,969 4,383

1981 N/a 7,660 2,307 4,468

1982 984 7,732 2,584 4,489

1983 1,168 7,682 3,015 4,561

1984 1,333 7,758 3,894 4,656

1985 1,901 7,700 4,817 4,759

1986 2,787 7,844 5,875 4,707

1987 4,005 7,669 6,535 4,665

1988 N/a 7,559 7,492 N/a

1989 5,966 7,350 7,331 822 4,477

1990 7,759 7,119 7,760 859 5,389

1991 9,656 N/a N/a N/a 5,413

¹ Beds designated as elderly/long stay. Information is not available for the years 1977 to 1981. Data for 1982 to 1987 are at 31 December, for 1989 onwards they are at 31 March.

² Number of places at 31 March.

³ Average daily available beds in the specialties of geriatric medicine and elderly mentally infirm/old age psychiatry, not all geriatric beds are designated as long stay. National health service beds are allocated according to the specialty of the consultant using the bed and not to the age group of the patient and, therefore, there will be beds in other specialties apart from the ones included here which at some time will be occupied by elderly patients. Data are for years ending 31 December for 1977 to 1987 and for years ending 31 March for 1989 to 1991. Due to a change in the definition of specialties, data for 1990 and 1991 are not strictly comparable with previous years.

	Type of premises
	Private nursing homes¹	Local authority residential homes²	Private residential homes²	Voluntary residential homes²	National health service hospitals³
1977	N/a	N/a	N/a	N/a	4,208
1978	N/a	7,424	1,571	4,263
1979	N/a	7,549	1,689	4,285
1980	N/a	7,581	1,969	4,383
1981	N/a	7,660	2,307	4,468
1982	984	7,732	2,584	4,489
1983	1,168	7,682	3,015	4,561
1984	1,333	7,758	3,894	4,656
1985	1,901	7,700	4,817	4,759
1986	2,787	7,844	5,875	4,707
1987	4,005	7,669	6,535	4,665
1988	N/a	7,559	7,492	N/a
1989	5,966	7,350	7,331	822	4,477
1990	7,759	7,119	7,760	859	5,389
1991	9,656	N/a	N/a	N/a	5,413
¹ Beds designated as elderly/long stay. Information is not available for the years 1977 to 1981. Data for 1982 to 1987 are at 31 December, for 1989 onwards they are at 31 March.
² Number of places at 31 March.
³ Average daily available beds in the specialties of geriatric medicine and elderly mentally infirm/old age psychiatry, not all geriatric beds are designated as long stay. National health service beds are allocated according to the specialty of the consultant using the bed and not to the age group of the patient and, therefore, there will be beds in other specialties apart from the ones included here which at some time will be occupied by elderly patients. Data are for years ending 31 December for 1977 to 1987 and for years ending 31 March for 1989 to 1991. Due to a change in the definition of specialties, data for 1990 and 1991 are not strictly comparable with previous years.