§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of women in England report their pregnancies by 16 weeks' gestation; what are the comparative figures for Finland and France; what action he is taking to improve the position in England; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Moyle:General practitioners' claims for payment for maternity medical services indicate that about 80 per cent. Of women report their pregnancies by the sixteenth week of gestation. I am looking into the possibility of obtaining comparative information for Finland and France and will write to my hon. Friend. I expect continuing improvements in antenatal care to result in more early attendances, and we shall be considering the specific recommendation of the Working Party on Infant and Perinatal Mortality and Morbidity for research into ways of improving the take-up of antenatal services.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider establishing a permanent unit of perinatal epidemiology for England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Moyle:My Department, in association with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the British Paediatric Association, has already given financial support to the preparatory work for the establishment of such a unit.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the figures for community midwifery staff in England in 1971, 1975 and at the latest available date; what action he is taking to halt the decline; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Deakins:The whole-time equivalent numbers of midwives employed in the NHS in England on 30th September were:—
749W
1971 1975* Community … … 4,081 2,955 Hospitals … … 9,959 11,380 Total … … 14,040 14,335 *The latest figures available. The increasing trend towards an integrated midwifery service means that a number of midwives working in hospitals will also provide a service within the community; this factor should be taken into account in any assessment of the figures for community midwives.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of babies born in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years weighed between 3,500 and 4,499 gms.; what was the perinatal mortality rate in this weight range in each year; what action he is taking to increase the proportion of babies within this weight range; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Moyle:I regret that the information requested is not as such available centrally, but I will be writing more fully to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will propose to area health authorities that maternity hospitals which have been closed could be used as patient hotels for temporary residence for high risk pregnant women; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Moyle:No. It is open to any area health authority to use such premises in this way, after consultation, if it considers that it is the most appropriate use for such a building and if the benefit is likely to justify the cost. However, the value of such hotels has not yet been clearly established.