§ Mr.LoughtonTo ask the Seccretary of state for health what estiamte he has made of the cost of
510Whave been provided by local authorities in each of the past seven years; and if he will make a statement. [117270]
§ Mr. HuttonThe table provides details of the number of local authority supported residents for the years requested.
converting all hospital wards in West Sussex to single sex wards; what funds he will make available for such purposes; and whether the funds will be in addition to general health authority funding levels already announced. [117716]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 4 April 2000]: We have reiterated our commitment to meeting our target to eliminate mixed sex accommodation, and arrangements for increased performance management and more regular monitoring of progress in this area have been set in place.
We have set three specific objectives for the National Health Service in order to achieve the elimination of mixed sex accommodation:
Ensure that appropriate organisational arrangements are in place to secure good standards of privacy and dignity for hospital patients;Achieve fully the standard for segregated washing and toilet facilities across the NHS;Provide safe facilities for patients in hospital who are mentally ill which safeguard their privacy and dignity.We aim to achieve these objectives fully in 95 per cent. of all health authorities by 2002.
The results of a monitoring exercise published in August 1999, which are in the Library, showed that 93 per cent. of health authorities would achieve the objectives by 2002. Results of the most recent monitoring exercise will be published in spring 2000.
In West Sussex there are a number of capital schemes under way through both private finance initiative and public sector finance which will mean that the health authority aims to meet our objective by 2002.
From April 2000 we aim to invest a total of £2.6 billion in NHS buildings and equipment—part of which will be used to address on-going work to eliminate mixed sex accommodation.