§ Mr. Alexanderasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the annual death rate per thousand among elderly people from hypothermia; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he makes, using such academic evidence as may be available to him, of the number of elderly persons with body temperature below 35°C.
§ Sir George YoungI refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member on 20 December 1979.—[Vol 976, c.371.]
428Ware now accommodating patients, listing in each case (a) the area health authority responsible, (b) the name of the hospital or unit, (c) the type of accommodation or service provided by that hospital or unit, and (d) the number of beds in each hospital or unit.
§ Sir George Young[pursuant to his replies, 13 February 1980, c. 708–9]: The timing of the opening for public use of new hospitals and units is a matter for the health authorities concerned. Information about openings of hospitals and units in England is not held centrally, other than for whole hospitals and certain major phases and extensions. This information is as follows for the period 3 May 1979 to 3 January 1980.
I am aware of the estimate quoted in an article in New Society published on 24 January 1980. This has apparently been drawn from an independent survey carried out by Dr. Fox and others in 1972. This showed that in a sample of about 1,000 old people some 0.5 per cent. were found to have a deep body temperature of less than 35°C in the morning, but in all cases their temperature had increased above that level by evening. The authors themselves made it clear that it was most unwise to make projections of the incidence of hypothermia from their study findings. Less still do the data provide a satisfactory basis on which to estimate the number of deaths from hypothermia. The sole source of information on this derives from death certificates and I have no reason to believe that it is unreliable.