§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to increase provision for health visitors within the National Health Service.
§ Mr. John PattenIt is for the individual district health authorities to determine the staffing levels of health visitors in the light of local needs and circumstances.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many health visitors are employed by the National Health Service in each regional health authority.
§ Mr. John PattenThe requested information is as follows:
Health Visitors* employed by the NHS at 30 September 1982 Regional Health Authority Whole—time Equivalent 1. Northern 621 2. Yorkshire 681 3. Trent 909 4. East Anglian 344 5. North West Thames 778 6. North East Thames 655 7. South East Thames 758 8. South West Thames 645 9. Wessex 566 10. Oxford 448 11. South Western 607 12. West Midlands 1.046 13. Mersey 496 14. North Western 919 Total England† 9,499 *The totals include Field work teachers, tuberculosis visitors with HV certificates, multiple duty and bank staff and health visitors employed in the school health service. †Includes 26 Health Visitors employed by London postgraduate teaching hospitals.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what qualifications for health visitors are required by the National Health Service.
§ Mr. John PattenA health visitor is a registered general nurse with approved midwifery or obstetric experience who has undertaken a further course for 12 months in health visiting and has obtained the health visitors certificate. This certificate is a pre—requisite for appointment as a health visitor in the NHS.
496W
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many health visitors have been employed by the National Health Service in each of the years since 1974.
§ Mr. John PattenThe number of health visitors employed by the National Health Service at 30 September in each year since 1975 is as follows; figures for 1974 are not available centrally.
Year Health Visitors-England (whole—time equivalent) 1975 693 1976 8,059 1977 8,478 1978 8,674 1979 9,010 1980* 8,888 1981† 9,244 1982 9,499 The totals include field work teachers, tuberculosis visitors with HV certificate, multiple duty and bank staff and health visitors employed in the school health service: trainees are excluded.
Figures for 1980 and subsequent years are not strictly comparable because of Notes: 1. Changes in data collection methods. 2. From April 1981 the working week was reduced from 40 to 37½ hours. No adjustment has been made for this.