§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was (a) the number of day care places in (i) day centres for the elderly and (ii) local authority residential homes for the elderly, (b) the rate per thousand population and (c) the percentage change of day care places for people over 75 years and between 60 and 75 years, respectively, for each of the years 1978 to 1985, inclusive.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe available information on the number of day care places for the elderly for the years 1978 to 1984 is given in the table: data for 1985 are not yet available. Further details are given in the Department's booklet "Adult Training Centres for the Mentally Handicapped and Day Centres for the Mentally Ill, the Elderly and the Younger Physically Handicapped (at 31 March)", copies of which are available in the Library. It is not possible to give figures separately for age groups over or below the age of 75.
training for health professionals, for example at universities, aimed at identifying need and providing for the rehabilitation of the disabled.
§ Mr. HayhoeDoctors wishing to specialise in rehabilitation medicine will have completed a period of postgraduate training before entering a four-year period of higher training which combines clinical, teaching. organisational and administrative experience. Doctors in other specialties may also train in rehabilitation.
Instruction for trainee general practitioners is given during vocational training including during their day release course. Regional advisers in general practice and organisers of continuing education courses for GPs are developing the concept of multi-disciplinary learning for trainees and for established principals. Courses of this type 377W are also being organised by the department of general practice at Exeter university. These courses involve nurses and therapists.
The English National Board for Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting approves a number of post-registration courses concerned with rehabilitation. In addition occupational health nurses have a rehabilitation component as an integral part of the course which leads to the OHN certificate approved by the Royal College of Nursing.
As regards the remedial professions, the professional bodies run post-basic courses. There are opportunities for members of these professions to undertake remedial studies as part of post-graduate courses at Southampton university, at the Polytechnic of Central London and Lanchester college, Coventry. The education development unit for the remedial professions, under the aegis of the National Health Service Training Authority, promotes the development of on-going education.