HC Deb 29 November 1983 vol 49 cc464-5W
Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the number and ratios of speech therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists available to each resident of long-stay mental handicap hospitals for the most recent five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John Patten

The latest available information is given in the following table. The information provided relates to all mental handicap hospitals and units as mental handicap hospitals are not classified by the length of time patients stay.

Mental Handicap Hospitals and Units: England
Reported numbers* of whole-time equivalent staff at 30 September and rates per 100 resident patients
Speech Therapists Physiotherapists Occupational Therapists
Year Numbers Per 100 Resident patients Numbers Per 100 Resident patients Numbers Per 100 Resident patients
1977 32 0.07 103 0.21 113 0.23
1978 38 0.08 108 0.23 121 0.26
1979 45 0.10 124 0.27 135 0.30
1980 44 0.10 135 0.30 141 0.32
1981 59 0.14 142 0.33 150 0.35
* Not all hospitals and units have supplied staff numbers for every year. The numbers recorded are thought to under-estimate the true totals slightly.