§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the respective numbers of physiotherapists and occupational therapists in each Scottish health board area; what would be his recommended establishments in each case to cater for population and demand; and whether there are any special problems in recruitment of full-time physiotherapists and occupational therapists encountered in hospitals for geriatric, psycho-geriatric, mental and mentally-handicapped patients.
§ Mr. FairgrieveThe numbers of physiotherapists and occupational therapists employed by each health board are348W set out in the table below. My right hon. Friend does not recommend establishments in physiotherapy and occupational therapy: this is a matter best left to individual health boards. There are difficulties of recruitment in a number of hospitals, not solely those mentioned in the question.
NUMBER—WHOLE-TIME EQUIVALENT—EMPLOYED AT 31 MARCH 1979 Physiotherapists Occupational Therapists Argyll and Clyde 54.6 7.5 Ayrshire and Arran 43.0 8.5 Borders 12.7 — Dumfries and Galloway 17.7 10.1 Fife 33.7 6.4 Forth Valley 36.1 7.3 Grampian 57.5 20.2 Greater Glasgow 229.8 67.4 Highland 33.8 6.7 Lanarkshire 69.5 8.6 Lothian 179.6 82.8 Orkney 4.0 — Shetland 3.4 1.0 Tayside 62.3 26.3 Western Isles 8.0 — Scotland 845.7 252.8 Note: The figures exclude physiotherapist helpers, occupational therapist helpers, and teachers of physiotherapy and occupational therapy.