Care Homes (Hansard, 6 March 2002)

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that the new strategic health authorities from April 2002 take responsibility for patients in nursing homes for whom the present health authority is paying part only. [31153]

§ Jacqui Smith
I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 192W.
Responsibility for funding services for patients will pass to the relevant primary care trust (PCT) in April 2002. Care and funding are provided on the basis of assessed need, so the PCT will take on the same responsibility as the health authority, except where the needs have changed.

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the average length of stay of a resident in(a) a local authority nursing home and (b) a privately owned nursing home; and if he will make a statement. [39171]

§ Jacqui Smith
The information requested on average length of stay in privately owned nursing homes is not collected centrally.
Local authorities do not own or run nursing homes.

§ Mr. Norman
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds in care homes there were in Kent in(a) 1997 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [39459]
426W

§ Jacqui Smith
Information on the number of residential places and registered nursing beds in Kent, at 31 March each year, is shown in the table.

Residential and nursing care beds in Kent, 1997 and 2001, as at 31 March

(a)1997⁴ (b) 2001⁵

Number of residential care homes¹ 16,009 15,928

Number of beds in nursing homes^2,3 4,712 4,868

¹ Excludes places in childrens' homes.

² Private nursing homes, hospitals and clinics.

³ Information is presented for East Kent and West Kent health authorities.

⁴ Figures for registered nursing beds relates to registered beds during the period 1 October 1996 to 31 March 1997.

⁵ Information is presented for the county of Kent prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1998. Figures for 2001 therefore relate to the area corresponding to the unitary authority of Medway Towns and the county area of Kent.

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average length of time it takes to set up a(a) residential home and (b) nursing home from the time of its original planning application. [39442]

§ Jacqui Smith
[holding answer 4 March 2002]: The information requested is not available centrally.

Residential and nursing care beds in Kent, 1997 and 2001, as at 31 March
	(a)1997⁴	(b) 2001⁵
Number of residential care homes¹	16,009	15,928
Number of beds in nursing homes^2,3	4,712	4,868
¹ Excludes places in childrens' homes.
² Private nursing homes, hospitals and clinics.
³ Information is presented for East Kent and West Kent health authorities.
⁴ Figures for registered nursing beds relates to registered beds during the period 1 October 1996 to 31 March 1997.
⁵ Information is presented for the county of Kent prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1998. Figures for 2001 therefore relate to the area corresponding to the unitary authority of Medway Towns and the county area of Kent.