§ Mr. Stan Thorneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present maximum permitted number of domiciliary visits in any one year for (a) full-time consultants and (b) part-time consultants in the National Health Service.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThere is no limit on the number of domiciliary visits that an NHS consultant may undertake, but the terms of service allow a given consultant, whether whole time or part-time, to receive fees for no more than 300 such visits in any one year.
§ Mr. Stan Thorneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total number of domiciliary visits by all National Health Service consultants in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe total number of such visits in England and Wales in each year is:
Year ending 30 September Visits 1981 429,759 1980 436,058 1979 465,023 1978 449,697 1977 439,237
§ Mr. Stan Thorneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what was the total number of domiciliary visits performed in the area of the Liverpool area health authority and the Preston district health authority in each of the last five years by consultant (a) physicians, (b) surgeons, general, (c) surgeons, orthopaedic, (d) dermatologists, (e) geriatricians, (f) psychiatrists and (g) gynaecologists;
(2) what was the number of general practitioners within the Liverpool area health authority and the Preston district health authority requesting (a) one to 10 domiciliary visits, (b) 11 to 20, (c) 21 to 30 and (d) 30 or more during the last two years for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergInformation of this type is not collected centrally. The hon. Member may like to consult the relevant health authorities.
§ Mr. Stan Thorneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total cost to the National Health Service of domiciliary visits over the last five years.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe total cost of these visits has not up until now been identified separately in the financial data that is collected centrally.