§ Mrs. Ren ée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has of the number of regional intensive maternity care units which exist in Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, West Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Scotland, Italy, England and Wales, Austria, Romania, Norway, Belgium, France, Bulgaria, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Greece and the United States of America.
§ Mr. Moyle:A number of published sources provide a general description of maternity and child health systems in different countries. For example, the International Monograph Series on Early Child Care now includes volumes on Hungary, Sweden, the United States of America, Switzerland, Britain, France, 613W Israel and Poland, with one on India in preparation, Only a few studies, however, go into such details as the number of maternity units that are combined with intensive neonatal care facilities. Thus, M. and A. Wyne in their 1976 study of French policy and legislation report that in 1970 there were in France seven neonatal intensive care units in teaching hospitals, with a further 20 planned so as to provide at least one in each region. In their 1974 study of services for pregnant women and young children in Finland, the same authors found that all maternity and neonatal care was concentrated in 19 central hospitals, with 3 more under construction or planned.
In the United Kingdom the numbers of hospitals equipped and staffed to accept referrals of mothers with high-risk pregnancies and to provide a high level of intensive care to their babies when born —or to newborn babies referred from other units—are:
England 38 Wales 7 Scotland 5 Northern Ireland 1
Estimated percentage of revenue expenditure on services for the mentally handicapped Health district 1978–79 1979–80 Portsmouth and South-East Hampshire 7.7 7.8 Southampton and South-West Hampshire (Teaching) 6.4 6.3 Winchester and Central Hampshire 3.0 3.9 Basingstoke and North Hampshire 0.5 0.6 The figures for Portsmouth and South-East Hants; and Southampton and South-West Hampshire districts reflect the existence of Coldeast and Tatchbury Mount mental handicap hospitals whose combined catchment areas extend throughout the Hampshire area.
§ Mr. David Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services which of the districts in the Hampschire area health authority do not have a residential children's unit for the mentally handicapped.
§ Mr. Moyle:The Basingstoke and North Hampshire health district does not have a residential unit for mentally handicapped children. The district is served by Coldeast Hospital, Salisbury Green, Southampton. Hampshire area health authority—teaching—and Hampshire county council are currently discussing the possibility of joint provision of resi
614WWe understand that there are eight similar hospitals in the Republic of Ireland.
Sources:International Monograph Series on Early Child Care ed. H. B. and N. M. Robinson, Gordon and Breach Science Publishers Ltd. 8 vols, London 1972–78.
The Protection of Maternity and Infancy by M. and A. Wynn, Council for Children's Welfare, London 1974.
Prevention of Handicap of Perinatal Origin by M. and A. Wynn, Foundation for Education and Research in Child-Bearing, London 1976.