Health Advisory Service (Hansard, 23 February 1993)

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent changes there have been in the strategic brief, method of operation and independence of the health advisory service; and what announcements she has made of them.

§ Mr Yeo
Following a ministerial review in 1991, the national health service health advisory service now has a new remit compatible with the NHS reforms and the Government's new policies for care in the community. The HAS will continue to undertake reviews of local services, but a proportion of its resources will be allocated to examinations of particular aspects of the management of care and quality standards. These changes were announced in January 1992. The HAS remains independent and it retains the status of a non-departmental public body.

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are made for the publication of annual reports by the health advisory service.

§ Mr. Yeo
Following the review of the national health service health advisory service and the appointment of the new director, all future annual reports will he published as soon as possible after receipt.

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in discussions between the health advisory service and other monitoring bodies concerned with health and social services care.

§ Mr. Yeo
During his first months in office, the present director met many other monitoring bodies whose views540W have been taken into account in the formulation of the national health service health advisory service's forward programme.

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many visits were completed by the health advisory service other than in respect of drug services; how many reports were published in each quarter since 1991; how many person/days were employed on these visits and subsequent report writing, for each quarter, in respect of(a) psychiatrists, psychogeriatricians and geriatricians, (b) nurses, (c) therapists representing the professions allied to medicine, (d) managers and (e) social service inspectors; how many visits are planned for the period 1 January to 31 March; and how many person/days of each of the professional groups it is planned to employ.

§ Mr. Yeo
No visits to review services for mentally ill and elderly people have taken place since 1991. Twelve reports were published during January-March 1992 and six during April-May 1992, relating to the final 18 of the 40 visits undertaken during 1991. No visits have been planned for the period January-March 1993.