§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what he estimates to be the numbers of people at present resident in old folks homes in Scotland who could live in sheltered housing if it were available.
§ Mr. William RossA special survey would be needed before it would be possible to estimate the proportion of the 13,000 people at present resident in old people's homes who are fit enough to live in sheltered housing. A survey conducted in 1969 suggested that about one-quarter of the residents then in old people's homes would have been able to live in the community in suitable housing or sheltered housing with the support of the necessary domiciliary services.
§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the pattern of National Health Service spending in Scotland on services for the elderly, at the latest available date, under the headings geriatric in patients, geriatric out patients, geriatric day patients, home nurses, health visitors and chiropody.
§ Mr. William RossExpenditure on these services in the financial year 1973–74 was as follows:
Revenue— £m. In-patients 18.5 Out-patients 0.2 Home nurses 1.5 Health visitors 0.3 Capital—Hospital geriatric services 0.6 Expenditure on elderly patients in general and psychiatric hospitals, other than in designated geriatric assessment units, is not indentifiable and has not been included above. Similarly, it is not possible
1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 £ £ £ £ £ An Comunn Gaidhealach— grant paid 7,000 7,500 12,000 12,000 12,000 grant expressed at 1970 prices 7,000 6,769 9,885 9,043 7,619 Glasgow University (Gaelic Books Grant)— grant paid 5,000 5,000 2,500 8,500 8,500 grant expressed at 1970 prices 5,000 4,513 2,059 6,405 5,397 Assistance for particular projects has also been given by the Highlands and Islands Development Board and the Scottish Arts Council, and I recently announced a grant of £34,000 over the next three years towards the development of a Gaelic-English bilingual curriculum in 588W to identify separately expenditure on day beds and chiropody for elderly patients.
§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of geriatricians in Scotland; and what the increment has been in the numbers of anaesthetists and pathologists in Scotland over the past 10 years.
§ Mr. William RossAt 30th September 1974, the latest date for which exact figures are available, there were 44 consultant geriatricians in post in Scotland. Over the past 10 years the numbers of anaesthetists and pathologists have increased by 71 and 8 respectively.
§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many consultant vacancies in geriatrics there currently are in Scotland.
§ Mr. William RossAt 30th September 1975 there were six consultant vacancies in geriatrics in Scotland.