HC Deb 15 November 1983 vol 48 cc443-4W
Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is yet in a position to announce which local projects have been selected to benefit from the Government's initiative to help elderly, mentally ill people.

14. Mr. Kenneth Clarke

We launched the initiative earlier this year because we were anxious to see more help given to the growing numbers of mentally disturbed elderly people in our society. We offered the money—£6 million over the next three years—as a stimulus to the development of comprehensive services, in which health and social service authorities plan together, in every NHS region. I have been very impressed by the response. Obviously many people are anxious to ensure that we achieve the standards of care for the elderly mentally ill that a civilised society ought to achieve.

Each regional health authority made its own selection from many excellent schemes which were put forward as a result of our initiative. They selected districts where there was a real need for development, and where thorough joint planning has gone on. Our list shows the main element which will attract central funding — usually meeting the most urgent need of the next three years. But each development scheme is of course a complete scheme linking these elements with wider developments, carefully planned with the matching local authority to achieve a balanced service.

So far there are 27 schemes. Roughly similar sums of money have been made available in each region, but regions have been able to choose whether to apply the whole sum to a single district, or to divide it. The following 27 schemes are already approved for a share of the special funding; in one or two regions an additional scheme may still be under way.

Northern South Tees HA—creation of Family Support Unit.

Yorkshire East Yorkshire HA—travelling day hospital. Bradford HA—community support team.

Trent North Derbyshire HA — community psychogeriatric nursing service and other community support staff. Rotherham HA—extension of night sitting service and day centre.

East Anglian Norwich HA—multidisciplinary community support.

North West Thames Paddington and North Kensington HA — appointment of community team.

North East Thames Mid Essex HA—assessment and support for patients at home.

South East Thames South East Kent HA—community support unit. Medway HA—additional clinical assistant sessions.

South West Thames Worthing & Chichester HAs —community support services including day care.

Wessex Southampton HA—additional community psychiatric nurses and day places. Portsmouth HA—additional staff to build up existing services. East Dorset HA—extension of "Hospital at Home" scheme.

Oxford Kettering HA—development of community care centre.

South Western Southmead HA—day centres. Gloucester HA—capital contribution to cost of building day centre.

West Midlands Shropshire HA — co-ordinated health and social service community support. South Birmingham HA—community psychiatric nurses and ward upgrading. Coventry HA — more staff for multidisciplinary community team.

Mersey Southport and Formby HA — additional staff to develop integrated network of care. Halton HA — social work assistant and night sitting/nursing scheme. Crewe HA—building extension to day-room. Macclesfield HA—day facilities.

North Western Central Manchester HA—develop teaching laboratory. Stockport HA—short-stay day care and night sitting service. Salford HA—dental care research.